Analysis of the impact of the preload disc thickness of the upper valve of the double tube shock absorber on damping forces

Nowadays, vehicles travel on various carriageways. For every case and means of transport, the suspension system is needed to ensure proper contact of the wheel and the surface as well as relative comfort of travel of passengers [14]. The integral part of the suspension is the damper. Hydraulic vibration dampers of every manufacturer are based on the same physical effects. The differences are usually in the design of valves and seals. Each of these details affects the most important properties for the consumer: durability, vibration damping and price [18]. The subject of this article is to analyze the double-pipe hydraulic damper and determine the relations between the initial load disk thickness on the damping forces in relation to other parameters of valve adjustment. DoE analysis is performed to find out for which input parameter the sensitivity within medium movement rates of the damper piston rod is the highest. The analysis is done for two types of upper valves: MTV CL and RV+.