A load beam for a disk drive suspension in which the radius of the perimeter transition between the load beam portion and the load beam spring portion is increased to ensure the stress encountered when the load beam is bent from its normal range, for installation into a disk drive, for example, from a previously typical 0.002 inch to 0.010 inch, is distributed sufficiently that the load beam spring portion is subject to only elastic, not plastic deformation. Thus, the gram loads exerted by the load beam spring portion are reliably consistent.