Hydraulic shock absorber for vehicles

Claim 1

In a hydraulic shock absorber for vehicles, comprising: a cylinder including inner and outer cylinder members having a chamber defined therebetween; a bottom check valve operably arranged at the lower end of said cylinder to provide communication between the interior of said inner cylinder member and said chamber; a wheel mount barcket provided at a lower portion of said outer cylinder member for mounting on a wheel support member of a vehicle; a piston slidably fitted in said cylinder, said piston including a check valve mechanism; a piston rod supporting said piston, the upper end of said piston rod extending outside said cylinder; and a chassis mount bracket provided at said upper end of said piston rod; the improvement wherein: said piston rod comprises upper and lower piston rod members integrally fixed to each other at respective connecting portions thereof; said upper and lower piston rod members are isolated from contact with each other by a first elastic element disposed between said respective connecting portions of said upper and lower piston rod members; a rod guide is provided at an upper end portion of said inner and outer cylinder member and has said piston rod slidably received therethrough; and said rod guide includes radially inner and outer members integrally fixed to each other at respective connecting portions thereof and isolated from contact with each other by a second elastic element disposed between said respective connecting portions.