Various types of damper are usually applied to reduce noise and vibration for mechanical systems. Especially, for washing machines, the free-friction stroke damper is installed. The behavior of the free-friction stroke damper has nonlinear characteristics such as hysteresis and viscoelastic properties because of its foam material. First of all, the dynamic experiments were carried out by using a MTS machine to find characteristics of the free-friction stroke damper. And the simulation model of the free-friction stroke damper and characteristics of a foam material were evaluated by using optimization technique. To make a good simulation model which can show the dynamic characteristics, it is important to understand the working mechanism of the damper. The Finite Element Method (FEM) technique can help us instinctively understand the damping phenomenon under operating conditions, because we can observe the condition of damper at every step in the simulation by using it. Also, by changing factors, we can comprehend the variation of characteristics of damper. So, in this paper, a study on the dynamic characteristics of free-friction stroke damper by FEM is focused on. Finally, the possibility which physical experiments can be replaced into simulations is shown.