Systems and methods for a military vehicle

A suspension assembly, comprising:

• a wheel end assembly;
• an upper support arm coupled to the wheel end assembly;
• a lower support arm coupled to the wheel end assembly;
• and
• a suspension element coupled to at least one of the upper support arm and the lower support arm, the suspension element comprising:
• a main body having an internal volume;
• a tubular element extending at least partially within the main body, wherein the tubular element has an internal volume, and wherein the main body and the tubular element each include a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
• a piston assembly separating the internal volume of the main body into a first chamber and a second chamber, the second chamber defined by at least portions of the outer surface of the tubular element, the inner surface of the main body, and a surface of the piston assembly, wherein the second chamber extends at least partially within the internal volume of the tubular element;
• and
• at least one flow control element disposed along a flow path between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the sidewall of the main body defines an aperture therethrough that forms a portion of the flow path, and wherein the piston assembly is configured to prevent direct fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber during at least one of an extension and a contraction of the tubular element.

A method of manufacturing a suspension element, the method comprising:

• providing a main body having an internal volume;
• extending a tubular element at least partially within the main body, wherein the tubular element has an internal volume that defines a first chamber, and wherein the main body and the tubular element each include a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
• separating the internal volume of the main body into a second chamber and a third chamber with a first piston assembly, the third chamber defined by at least portions of the outer surface of the tubular element, the inner surface of the main body, and a surface of the first piston assembly;
• separating the first chamber from the second chamber with a second piston assembly, wherein the second piston assembly includes a first side that is directly exposed to the first chamber and a second side that is directly exposed to the second chamber;
• and
• disposing at least one flow control element along a flow path between the second chamber and the third chamber, wherein the sidewall of the main body defines an aperture therethrough that forms a portion of the flow path, and wherein the first piston assembly is configured to prevent direct fluid communication between the second chamber and the third chamber during at least one of an extension and a contraction of the tubular element.