A disk drive suspension has a load beam with a base portion, a spring portion and a rigid portion to carry a flexure and slider in operative association with a disk. The spring portion is normally bendable between the base portion and the rigid portion. Welding of the spring portion to the base portion and the rigid portion tends to raise the temperature of the adjacent parts of the spring portion to temperatures above their annealed temperature and there is a loss of temper and thus spring properties in these adjacent parts. The invention limits the bending of the spring portion to a region between the base and rigid portion adjacent parts by stiffening the spring portion locally in these parts as with an edge rail. The non-railed region of the spring portion remains bendable and is far enough away from welding heat that it retains its temper and spring properties.