A head gimbal assembly includes a slider assembly and a flexure tongue
that cantilevers in a first direction and supports the slider assembly.
The slider assembly cantilevers away from the flexure tongue in a second
direction different than the first direction. A load beam imparts a force
on the flexure tongue and generates a first net torque on the slider
assembly. The cantilevering of the slider assembly decreases a magnitude
of the first net torque on the slider assembly. The force on the flexure
tongue can also generate a second net torque on the slider assembly that
is oriented about a second axis different than the first axis. The slider
assembly can cantilever in the second direction to decrease the magnitude
of the second net torque on the slider assembly. Portions of the flexure
tongue and the slider assembly can be spaced apart from one another to
form a gap that is directly between the flexure tongue and the slider
assembly. The flexure tongue can includes a tongue aperture and/or one or
more notches that increase the deflection of the flexure tongue to
decrease the first net torque.