Weight transfer

[2] This would be more properly referred to as load transfer,[1][3] and that is the expression used in the motorcycle industry,[4][5] while weight transfer on motorcycles, to a lesser extent on automobiles, and cargo movement on either is due to a change in the CoM location relative to the wheels.

[6] No motion of the center of mass relative to the wheels is necessary, and so load transfer may be experienced by vehicles with no suspension at all.

A perfectly rigid vehicle, without suspension that would not exhibit pitching or rolling of the body, still undergoes load transfer.

However, the pitching and rolling of the body of a non-rigid vehicle adds some (small) weight transfer due to the (small) CoM horizontal displacement with respect to the wheel's axis suspension vertical travel and also due to deformation of the tires i.e. contact patch displacement relative to wheel.

Most high performance automobiles are designed to sit as low as possible and usually have an extended wheelbase and track.

Acceleration causes the sprung mass to rotate about a geometric axis resulting in relocation of the CoM.

Front-back weight transfer is proportional to the change in the longitudinal location of the CoM to the vehicle's wheelbase, and side-to-side weight transfer (summed over front and rear) is proportional to the ratio of the change in the CoM's lateral location to the vehicle's track.

As fuel is consumed, not only does the position of the CoM change, but the total weight of the vehicle is also reduced.

Under hard braking it might be clearly visible even from inside the vehicle as the nose dives toward the ground (most of this will be due to load transfer).

At the same time, the CoM of the vehicle will typically move laterally and vertically, relative to the contact patch by no more than 30 mm, leading to a weight transfer of less than 2%, and a corresponding reduction in grip of 0.01%.

Load transfer causes the available traction at all four wheels to vary as the car brakes, accelerates, or turns.

An exception is during positive acceleration when the engine power is driving two or fewer wheels.

Fitting racing tires to a tall or narrow vehicle and then driving it hard may lead to rollover.