Abstract
In order to obtain the characteristics of a damping force which depends on the amplitude and frequency of the excitation, a modification to the vehicle shock absorber is proposed in this paper. Within the range of small amplitudes, the ‘soft’ characteristics improve riding comfort, while within the resonance ranges, the increased damping force provides a higher level of ride safety. A nonlinear model of the system is introduced, taking into account various strategies of oil-flow control. Utilising numerical integration methods, the influence of excitation parameters and constructional parameters on the characteristics of the damper is investigated.