Methods and apparatus for position sensitive suspension damping

A damper for a shock absorber comprising:

• a damper chamber divided by a piston and a piston shaft into a compression portion and a rebound portion;
• a piston receiving portion formed at a lower end of said damper chamber, said piston receiving portion configured for holding a damping fluid and for receiving said piston during a compression stroke of said shock absorber, wherein said piston receiving portion comprises an upper end having a diameter that tapers outwards permitting, initially in said compression stroke, some of said damping fluid to pass through an annular area formed between a bottom out piston seal disposed annularly around said piston shaft and an inner diameter of said piston receiving portion;
• a blow-off valve coupled with said piston receiving portion via a first fluid path and coupled to said compression portion, said blow-off valve configured for selectively allowing a first portion of said damping fluid to flow at a speed of said piston shaft, from said piston receiving portion, through said first fluid path and to said compression portion, that creates a fluid pressure within said piston receiving portion during engagement of said piston with said piston receiving portion;
• and
• an adjustable metering valve coupled with said piston receiving portion via a second fluid path and coupled to said compression portion, said adjustable metering valve configured for allowing a second portion of said damping fluid to flow from said piston receiving portion, through said second fluid path and to said compression portion, thereby relieving a vacuum pressure created within said piston receiving portion during said compression stroke of said shock absorber.