The performance of shock absorber is directly related to the car behaviour and performance, both for handling and comfort. In this study, a mathematical nonlinear dynamic model and computational method are introduced to study the flow and performance of shock absorber. The flow characteristics of components(piston and body valve) are investigated and applied to dynamic modeling of shock absorber to predict the damping force. The simulation results agree with the test data well. The shock absorber model proposed in this paper is applicable as a part of a full vehicle suspension simulation.