Patent ID: 7252181

Claim:
A suspension damping system for use with a vehicle having a vehicle body and an unsprung portion, said damping system comprising: a spring interconnecting the unsprung portion and said vehicle body, said spring having a pressurized gas therein; means for determining a position of said vehicle body in relation to said unsprung portion; a shock absorber separate from said spring, said shock absorber interconnecting said unsprung portion and said vehicle body, said shock absorber including a tube; and a control system for positioning said vehicle body at a specified height from said unsprung portion when said position of said vehicle body is lower than a first specified amount and when said position of said vehicle body is higher than a second specified amount, said control system changing a pressure of said pressurized gas in said spring based on a difference between said position of said vehicle body and said specified height to position said vehicle body at said specified height; a single valve assembly attached directly to the tube of said shock absorber, said single valve assembly always being in direct communication with said pressurized gas in said spring and said control system, damping characteristics of said shock absorber at said specified height being based upon the pressure of said pressurized gas in said spring controlled by said control system.