Suspension Roll vs. Tilt

Vehicle Suspension Roll vs. Tilt explained

Vehicle body tilt is a trait of a soft suspension setup, which causes the vehicle body to collapse to one side visually. This is true of almost all passenger vehicles.

Vehicle body roll is a distinct trait of a stiff suspension setup, causing all four wheels to drift sideways as seen on drift cars.

The sensation to the driver or occupants of either trait is almost similar. Both of these distinct sensations can be, and are often, interchanged in diagnosing handling-related issues. It is not uncommon for an anti-roll bar upgrade to be the default recommendation for either trait.

• vehicle body tilt visually shows exaggerated lean to one side, indicating a soft suspension setup.

  
  

• vehicle body roll visually looks flat during cornering and indicates a stiff suspension setup.

The examples in the table below are common suspension causes which we hope you find useful in diagnosing suspension related issues.

SYMPTOM #1:	CAUSE:
- Harsh and choppy ride	Front and rear axle springs are too stiff with little or no suspension travel
- Vehicle cannot put power down on corner exit due to excessive wheel-spin
SYMPTOM #2:	CAUSE:
- The vehicle initially points in well, however, the front easily loses traction over bumps	Springs are too stiff with little or no suspension travel on the front axle
- Front tyres lock up while braking over bumps
SYMPTOM #3:	CAUSE:
- Excessive wheel-spin immediately on application of power	Springs are too stiff with little or no suspension travel on the rear axle
- The rear of the vehicle tends to want to slide around, especially on wet roads
SYMPTOM #4:	CAUSE:
- Floating ride leading to pitch and roll	Front and rear axle springs are too soft
- Sloppy and inconsistent response to steering input
SYMPTOM #5:	CAUSE:
- Vehicle feels bouncy over bumps and slow to settle	Relatively soft spring rate on front and or rear axle
- Excessive squatting on acceleration or diving on braking