Balanced continuously semi-active damper

A continuously variable damper comprising:

• an elongate outer tube having a first end and a second end and having an inner tube concentrically contained therein, the inner tube having a first end and a second end, the first end of the inner tube terminating at a rod guide and the second end terminating at a cylinder end, such that a low pressure chamber is defined between the cylinder end and the second end of the outer tube and between the inner tube and the outer tube;
• a rod having a piston on a first rod end and a second rod end extending externally of the elongate outer tube through the rod guide, the piston and inner tube defining a rebound working chamber between the piston and rod guide and the piston and the inner tube defining a compression working chamber between the piston and the cylinder end;
• an active rebound valve in fluid communication with the rebound working chamber through a rebound down tube, the active rebound valve having a variable flow resistance controllable by an ECU;
• an active compression valve in fluid communication with the compression working chamber through a compression down tube, the active compression valve having a variable flow resistance controllable by an ECU;
• an intake compression valve in fluid communication with the rebound working chamber through the rebound down tube, wherein the fluid flows through the active compression valve and intake compression valve when the second rod end moves toward the rod guide assembly;
• and
• an intake rebound valve in fluid communication with the compression working chamber through the compression down tube, wherein fluid flows through the active rebound valve and intake rebound valve when the second rod end moves away from the rod guide assembly, the intake rebound valve displaced from the active rebound valve by substantially 180 degrees circumferentially about the elongate outer tube;
• wherein the elongate outer tube is between the intake compression valve and the active rebound valve along an axis that is perpendicular to elongation of the elongate outer tube.