Suspension assembly with a vertically coupling actuator arm for reduced track misregistration during arm bending

A support arm for use in a disc drive suspension includes an asymmetry that creates a vertical coupling in the support arm, i.e., a slight lateral movement of the support arm distal end to which a load beam is mounted in response to vibration-induced bending of the support arm. The vertical coupling in the support arm at least partially cancels out during arm bending any vertical coupling which has been designed into the coupling between the load beam and the support arm to reduce track misregistration during flow-induced vibrations of the disc surface. In this way, track misregistration during both flow-induced vibrations and during arm bending is reduced. In a preferred embodiment the asymmetry is created by at least one of a first notch along an inside top edge of the arm, and a second notch along a bottom outside edge of the arm.