Originally Posted by
MasterSbilt_Racer
Rebound or compression, stiffer means it takes more force to move the shaft at a given speed. Shock force is a function of shaft speed.
If you slow it enough, the amount of travel seen on the track can be changed significantly. Most cars have a lot of rebound on the RF these days to keep the nose from popping up suddenly when you accelerate. This is needed because typical spring rates are half what they were 20 years ago. This is accomplished in the lower shaft speeds. When the shock is switching from compressing to extending on the track, the instant it switches direction, it is moving relatively slowly. So, shocks are built to be stiffer in rebound in the zero to 2"/sec speed range compared to old linear shocks.