Shock absorber assembly including hydraulic stop mechanism with stabilizer pins

A shock absorber assembly, comprising:

• a housing disposed about and along a center axis and extending between a first end and a second end and defining a main chamber;
• a piston disposed in said main chamber and axially moveable for providing a damping force in response to movement of said piston;
• a piston rod attached to said piston and moveable with said piston;
• a hydraulic stop mechanism for providing an additional damping force in response to axial movement of said piston rod, said hydraulic stop mechanism including a retainer extending about and fixed to said piston rod;
• said hydraulic stop mechanism further including a ring guide fixed to said piston rod and having a base portion axially adjacent to said retainer and a plurality of catchers each connected to and spaced axially from said base portion and each having a radially outer portion;
• each of said catchers defining a channel extending axially;
• said hydraulic stop mechanism further including a piston ring axially moveable along said ring guide between said catchers and said retainer and sealed radially relative to said housing;
• said piston ring having a ring portion moveable axially between a blocked position and an unblocked position, wherein said ring portion axially abuts said retainer in said blocked position to close said channels to provide an additional damping force, and wherein said ring portion is axially spaced from said retainer when said ring portion is in said unblocked position to allow fluid to pass through said channels to provide a smaller damping force than when said ring portion is in said blocked position;
• and
• said piston ring further including a plurality of stabilizer pins extending axially from said ring portion and each received by one said the channels of said catchers radially inward of said radially outer portions of said catchers for preventing radially outward movement of said ring portion.