A piston assembly comprising: a piston housing defining an interior and having a first housing end and a second housing end; a piston rod having a first rod end extending into the interior and moveable therein between an extended position toward the first housing end and a retracted position toward the second housing end with an intermediate position between the extended position and retracted position; a first plate joined to the piston rod proximate the first rod end ; a second plate joined to the piston rod and spaced apart a distance along the piston rod from the first plate to define a floating region between the first plate and the second plate ; and a piston head slidably joined to the piston rod between the first plate and the second plate ; a first energy storage member disposed within the housing proximate the first housing end between an end wall of the piston housing and the first plate , and a second energy storage member disposed within the housing proximate the second housing end between an opposing end wall of the piston housing and the second plate ; wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage members comprises a spring; wherein when the piston rod is in the extended position, the first plate engages the first energy storage member and when the piston rod is in the retracted position, the second plate engages the second energy storage member , wherein when the piston rod is urged from the extended position toward the retracted position, the piston head slides along the piston rod from the first plate toward the second plate ; and wherein the piston head can slide within the floating region defined between the first plate and the second plate without engaging either the first plate and the second plate such that the piston head is prevented from applying damping force to the piston rod . a piston housing defining an interior and having a first housing end and a second housing end; a piston rod having a first rod end extending into the interior and moveable therein between an extended position toward the first housing end and a retracted position toward the second housing end with an intermediate position between the extended position and retracted position; a first plate joined to the piston rod proximate the first rod end ; a second plate joined to the piston rod and spaced apart a distance along the piston rod from the first plate to define a floating region between the first plate and the second plate ; and a piston head slidably joined to the piston rod between the first plate and the second plate ; a first energy storage member disposed within the housing proximate the first housing end between an end wall of the piston housing and the first plate , and a second energy storage member disposed within the housing proximate the second housing end between an opposing end wall of the piston housing and the second plate ; wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage members comprises a spring; wherein when the piston rod is in the extended position, the first plate engages the first energy storage member and when the piston rod is in the retracted position, the second plate engages the second energy storage member , wherein when the piston rod is urged from the extended position toward the retracted position, the piston head slides along the piston rod from the first plate toward the second plate ; and wherein the piston head can slide within the floating region defined between the first plate and the second plate without engaging either the first plate and the second plate such that the piston head is prevented from applying damping force to the piston rod . <EOS>