An apparatus and method for reducing a suspension gram load to increase
head to disk interface reliability for contact recording systems. The
method provides a suspension for reaching over a disk. A slider having a
read/write head element on a trailing edge (TE) portion is also provided,
the slider coupled with the suspension. In addition, a gram load of the
suspension is reduced to minimize the friction force during contact of
the TE with the disk such that when the TE portion of the slider contacts
the disk the bouncing motion of the TE with respect to the disk is
reduced.