Abstract: A shock absorber includes a piston assembly having a compression valve assembly and a rebound valve assembly. One of the valve assemblies includes a free floating port blocker disc disposed in a pressure chamber. The blocker disc allows for the low speed bleed flow of fluid in one direction but restricts the low speed bleed flow of fluid in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a piston assembly having a compression valve assembly and a rebound valve assembly. One of the valve assemblies includes a free floating port blocker disc disposed in a pressure chamber. The blocker disc allows for the low speed bleed flow of fluid in one direction but restricts the low speed bleed flow of fluid in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a valve assembly with a low speed oil flow circuit and a mid/high speed oil flow circuit. Both circuits control fluid flow through the valve assembly in the same direction. The low speed oil flow circuit is tunable in order to provide low speed damping to improve both the vehicle control and handling. The tuning of the low speed oil flow circuit is accomplished by supporting a low speed valve disc on a chordal edge at a position radially inward of its outer edge to control the rate at which the low speed oil flow circuit opens. The valve assembly of the present invention can be located within either a base valve assembly or a piston valve assembly.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a valve assembly with a low speed valving system and a high speed valving system. Both systems control fluid flow through the respective valve assembly for fluid flow in the same direction. The low speed valving system is independently tunable in order to provide low speed damping to improve both the vehicle control and handling. The independent tuning of the low speed valving system allows the optimization of the low speed valving system in relation to the high speed valving system as well as the independent tuning of the high speed valving system in relation to the low speed valving system. The independent tuning of the two systems allow the achievement of a smooth transition between the two systems. The dual valving systems can be incorporated into the piston for a compression stroke, be incorporated into the piston for an extension stroke, or two dual valving systems can be incorporated into the piston for compression and extension strokes.