Jason Costello, founder of Canyon Coolers, is no stranger to the outdoors or building a capable Ford Bronco. Whether it’s for fun or to promote his brand, Jason jumps at any chance to hit the trails, exploring everything from the Cinders in Flagstaff to Johnson Valley and Baja Mexico. We recently caught up with him to dive into his Bronco’s suspension upgrades and hear all about his latest trip south of the border.

Like many Bronco owners, Jason has been dialing in his Bronco suspension lift kit over time. A few years ago, he reached out to AccuTune Offroad to upgrade his Bronco’s lift kit. The result? A set of King 2.5 coilovers, custom tuned and sprung specifically for his modified build. These Bronco shocks were outfitted with upgraded pistons, valving, and rear coil springs, these shocks came fully loaded with all the performance enhancements AccuTune had to offer. This Ford Bronco lift kit was a big improvement over the stock suspension.

“I originally had the OEM Fox shocks, not bad but my front end pitched downward the second I added some weight, and my bash plate sure got a workout. I also tried custom tuned King’s and while they were very good the lack of linear adjustment and the 30 clicks they had meant not only were they not that adjustable but you could lose track of the clicks easier and end up with the wrong or even a dangerous setting.”

It was only a matter of time before Jason pushed his Ford Bronco’s suspension lift to the next level. While Bronco mid-travel lift kits perform well for most, Jason had already been there, done that, and was ready for something more capable. Having previously worked with AccuTune Offroad on a set of custom-tuned King coilovers, it was a natural next step to upgrade to Ride Shocks—AccuTune’s own premium suspension line—built specifically to deliver the performance he was after.

“I was building a vehicle I could drive everyday, eat up desert like it was on fire, and still rock crawl level 7 trails when needed. This was also my first time building something like this. The patience and how the customer service at Ride takes all your vehicle systems and weights into account to build the perfect driving system gave me the confidence I needed to build my dream vehicle.”

Let us break down what Jason was really planning. He wasn’t just swapping out his front and rear Bronco coilover shocks—he was teaming up with Foutz Motorsports to install their +3” front long travel kit. This upgrade includes new upper and lower control arms, extended length CV axles, modified steering components, and widens the Bronco’s front track width out by 6 inches total. The wider stance and increased suspension travel meant a major change in suspension dynamics—something that caught us by surprise, but we were ready for the challenge.

With a more aggressive front suspension motion ratio, the leverage on Jason’s shocks increased significantly—making factory spring rates and valving no longer ideal for his Bronco long travel suspension. After gathering measurements from Jason for his new front suspension motion ratio, we were able to build a custom Ride Shocks setup tailored to Jason’s long travel Bronco build. Fortunately, the standard-length Ride front coilovers worked perfectly with the new geometry, so only the internal valving and coil springs needed upgrading. Based on the updated motion ratio and total sprung weight of the Bronco, we developed a new valving package specifically tuned to match the heavier-rate coil springs—ensuring balanced performance, improved control, and a smoother ride both on and off-road.

Jaon’s Ford Bronco rear suspension includes a standard length Ride Shocks 2.5 coilovers delivering 9.39” of travel. These Bronco rear coilovers were equipped with a multi-rate coil springs to support the added weight of his build while keeping the suspension compliant across rough off-road terrain. The internal valving on the rear coilovers was also re-tuned to handle high-speed desert terrain, giving Jason the confidence to charge through Baja without hesitation.

“At the end of the day Ride had the best adjusters (linear), and the best overall Ride, they let me do everything without compromise. I wasn’t completely sold on the oil flow being 40% greater just reading about it, but hitting whoops comfortably at over 50 mph made me a believer. Time will tell but they only require 100 psi of nitrogen, everyone else needs 250# of pressure, the seals simply don’t have to work as hard with all the additional flow from their massive reservoir hoses. That and their guarantee give me peace of mind and that is priceless. I look forward to years of service from my Ride System and I could not be happier.”

“Once we had the system installed the linear adjusters really shined, it was soo smooth when you wanted it, and stiff enough for a Baja race course when you needed it. I drove my Ride System from San Diego to Cabo with 20 other Bronco’s most of which trailed well behind me. I felt lucky, I felt safe, I felt firmly planted. They gave me the ability to fly when required. I couldn’t be happier.” 

Jason’s Bronco is a fully built off-road adventure rig, featuring 37″ Kenda Klever RTs on Reika Rambler wheels, Addictive Desert Designs bumpers, and a Foutz Motorsports +3” Long Travel Kit paired with custom-tuned Ride Shocks 2.5 coilovers. It’s protected with Foutz skid plates and tie rods, and enhanced with Fiberworks fenders, KC and Nacho lighting, and a Wilwood front brake system for added stopping power. Performance upgrades include a Mishimoto intercooler, intake components, and Boomba Racing and GCI throttle enhancements. Outfitted for recovery and overlanding, it features MOJAB gear, a DV8 tire carrier, Garmin Tread XL Baja Edition, Canyon Coolers, and more—making it ready for anything from desert runs to backcountry trails.

Jason Costello, founder of Canyon Coolers, built his Ford Bronco into the ultimate adventure rig—capable of daily driving, high-speed desert runs, and rock crawling alike. After starting with OEM Fox shocks and later moving to custom-tuned King 2.5 coilovers, Jason turned to AccuTune Offroad again to take things further with a Foutz Motorsports +3″ long travel kit and a custom Ride Shocks 2.5 coilover setup. With increased front-end leverage and wider suspension geometry, the team at AccuTune dialed in the spring rates and valving to match the demands of his build. Jason praises the smooth, controlled ride, especially at speed through whoops, and the performance of Ride’s linear adjusters and advanced fluid flow. Outfitted with 37″ tires, upgraded bumpers, lighting, recovery gear, and more, his Bronco is purpose-built for long-haul adventures—proven by a run from San Diego to Cabo where it stayed planted, fast, and fully capable the entire way.

Upgrade your Bronco Suspension Today!