Damping strut

A magneto-rheological monotube damping strut suitable to be used in automotive McPherson suspension systems, comprising:

• a housing tube, a damper body tube, and a bearing assembly disposed between said housing tube and said damper body tube;
• said bearing assembly comprising a bearing sleeve, which is provided with two annular bearings within said bearing sleeve and bearing against said damper body tube, and two internal annular seals abutting a radially external surface of said damper body tube and defining a fluid-tight internal lubricant chamber between said internal annular seals, and said annular bearings being integral with said bearing sleeve;
• said bearing assembly further comprising two external annular seals abutting an internal surface of said housing tube and defining an external lubricant chamber between said external annular seals and said housing tube;
• said bearing sleeve further comprising a plurality of radial channels passing through its wall and joining said internal lubricant chamber with said external lubricant chamber;
• wherein an internal surface of said bearing sleeve is provided, between said internal annular seals, with an annular recess having an internal diameter (dI) which is greater than an external diameter (DI)of said damper body tube;
• wherein said bearing sleeve is further provided with at least one auxiliary annular bearing disposed between said annular bearings and bearing against said damper body tube;
• and
• wherein said auxiliary annular bearing is provided with a plurality of spaced axial channels allowing for a lubricant flow there through.