Digressive damper valve

A digressive valve for a vehicle damper provides rebound performance with a relatively high damping rate for low velocity inputs and a relatively low flow restriction operation for high velocity inputs so that a relatively firm ride with reduced impact harshness is achieved. A piston has a set of compression openings and a set of rebound openings extending through the piston from one surface, to another surface having a cavity, with an annular seat formed in the cavity. A compression valve is positioned adjacent the piston and normally substantially closes the set of compression orifices. During compression, fluid flow out from the set of compression orifices is restricted by the compression valve. Positioned in the cavity is a rebound valve with a blow-off valve having an annular surface that tightly seals against the annular seat. A spring is biased against the blow-off valve, forcing the annular surface against the annular seat under a preload. During rebound, fluid flow out from the set of rebound openings is restricted by the blow-off valve, wherein the annular surface and annular seat permit substantially no leakage therebetween so that the spring must be compressed to move the blow-off valve off the annular seat to allow fluid flow through the set of rebound openings, providing a firm ride under low velocity input conditions wherein the preload must be surpassed to move the blow-off valve and wherein high velocity inputs move the blow-off valve to compress the spring resulting in substantially no flow restriction so that the effects of large, high velocity inducing impacts are minimized.