Monotube and Solid Piston
From our proven monotube dampers, which we've been using for over 35 years, to the all-new solid piston dampers developed specifically for offroad applications, we offer a wide range of damping systems to meet our customers' demands and explore new possibilities.
Monotube
Monotube dampers use a single tube that serves both as the housing for the piston and the outer shell. This design allows us to use large-diameter pistons with a huge hydraulic working area, enabling strong damping forces. Additionally, monotube dampers offer direct heat transfer, resulting in effective heat dissipation.
During compression, the piston rod displaces oil and pushes it through the compression valve. In rebound, the oil flows through the main piston. In both cases, the oil is slowed by the valve system, converting kinetic energy into heat and reducing piston rod velocity.
To prevent cavitation and maintain oil stability under extreme conditions - such as high temperatures and pressure - a gas charge is used to counteract oil pressure. This gas is stored in a reservoir and separated from the oil by a floating piston.
Dedicated compression valves and a rebound needle valve allow for precise tuning of damping characteristics.
Thanks to the separation of oil and gas, monotube dampers can be mounted in any direction.
Monotube architecture is used in all of our racing dampers and the MT-RC 2.5 Performance model.
Advantages
Monotube dampers are known for their fast response time - crucial in demanding offroad conditions.
The large outer surface of the damper tube allows efficient heat dissipation, ensuring consistent damping performance.
The full diameter of the damper tube can be used as a hydraulic working surface, maximizing efficiency and performance.
Solid Piston
The Solid Piston Damper is an innovation in offroad damper technology. This architecture has proven itself on the toughest race tracks – from the 24 Hours race at the Nürburgring to Le Mans – and has now been developed for uncompromising offroad use.
Unlike the Monotube, the Solid Piston damper works on the principle of volume displacement. Instead of allowing oil to flow through the piston, the solid piston pushes the entire oil column ahead of it. During both rebound and compression, the piston displaces oil through dedicated valve systems. The solid piston architecture enables the use of identical, complex valve designs for both rebound and compression stages. This allows for a broader adjustment range and more precise tuning of damping characteristics.
The Solid Piston offers exceptionally direct and sensitive response behavior. Instead of relying on piston movement, pressure relief is managed through specially tuned valve systems. This significantly reduces hysteresis across all excitation frequencies.
In offroad applications, this means:
Fast response even to high-frequency impacts
Consistent damping force buildup, even under large and rapidly repeating loads
Reliable performance across all terrains
The Solid Piston Damper is available as a twin-tube (with external reservoir) or a three-tube damper (with internal reservoir) in our SP-RC 3.0 dampers.
Advantages
Thanks to the displacement principle, significantly higher damping forces can be achieved or the system pressure can be reduced at the same force level.
With its precise valving and broad adjustment range, the Solid Piston offers consistently more comfort and traction with the same amount of stability dialed in.
The Solid Piston damper offers an almost delay-free response, even at the smallest damper strokes.
