U - Unsprung weight

Monday, June 05, 2006
The lower a car's unsprung weight, the better it will handle

Unsprung weight is all of the weight that isn't carried by a car's suspension systems. It includes the wheels, brakes, tyres and some of the weight of the springs, shock absorbers (dampers) and suspension links.

The lower a car's unsprung weight, the less work the suspension has to do to keep the tyres in contact with the road. So, if a car's unsprung weight is low, it should handle better.

Glossary

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