ADS built its reputation in the off-road industry with suspension components that have provided consistent, reliable performance in some of the harshest environments in motorsport. Since 1989, ADS has designed and built its products at the company’s development facility in Tucson, Arizona, and over the years, their dampers and other suspension components have helped competitors secure podiums in a countless number of off-road races. But that doesn’t mean that ADS’s development efforts are solely focused on racing.

“The voice of the consumer is what drives our products,” says ADS’s Bryan Grigsby. “One of the big advantages we have as a company is that we have a retail space within our development facility here in Tucson, so if we want to talk to the folks who are using our products and get a better sense of what we need, all we have to do is walk from our offices to the showroom.”

Grigsby tells us that this direct feedback informed the development of the new Mesa 2.5 Series shock. “This is something that we’ve been working on for a couple of years, and it’s really based on what we were hearing from overlanders and owners of heavy-duty trucks. They wanted a very high-quality off-road shock with excellent ride quality characteristics, but they didn’t need a reservoir, external adjusters, and things like that. This is for the DIYer who wants something that they can install in their garage that will provide tangible benefits without the need to drill holes for reservoir mounts, route hoses, and so on.”

This feedback helped ADS identify an underserved portion of the market in turn. “Our competitors will typically do an emulsion-type shock, and a 2.0-inch Internal Floating Piston (IFP) shock would be the next step up. And from there, you’re usually kind of left to your own devices to figure out where to go beyond that – typically, that ends up being a 2.5-inch remote reservoir shock. But the problem there is that these companies aren’t valving those 2.5-inch shocks for this use-case; they’re ignoring what this specific consumer base is asking for. That’s why it took us a while to develop this product. We wanted to get a really good sense of how these folks were using these vehicles and what they needed from a shock in this segment of the market.”

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Race-Proven Shock Technology Without the Fuss

ADS’s research revealed that a growing contingent of off-roaders wanted the performance of a 2.5-inch shock without having to deal with things like mounting locations and adjustment settings. And because these shocks serve as direct replacement components, they also needed to be dialed in for the needs of daily driven vehicles.

“For example, we wanted to make sure that the shock would meet expectations not just when the vehicle is unloaded, but also when hauling heavy loads, towing a trailer, or whatever the case may be,” Grigsby says. "And that requires shock valving that’s dialed in for a range of scenarios that provides good ride quality regardless of the situation. We’ve kind of internally termed this as a “Dual Sport” shock. To us, that means being comfortable on the street whether the vehicle is loaded or unloaded, and if you want to go overlanding, pre-running, or just tear around in the dirt, this shock is going to handle it just fine.”

He says that ADS’s decision to use a 2.5-inch shock body not only provided additional internal oil capacity for enhanced heat management, it also allowed the company to leverage the architecture and vast tuning knowledge base from their race-oriented, 2.5-inch direct-fit shocks. This approach yielded a shock with capability that goes far beyond OE quality without requiring would-be owners to go down a DIY rabbit hole.

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“The shocks that automakers use on vehicles are mass produced with cost effectiveness in mind. The shock bodies are smaller; 2.0-inch is typically the largest we’ll see, and they’re emulsion-style shocks. And that’s if they’re even using a monotube design. That means that the gas is pressurized in the fluid; there’s no gas column that separates the hydraulic fluid from the shock itself. That design promotes heat buildup, which leads to shock fade.

"That’s why we went with a large-bore IFP here with a separate nitrogen charge column. It essentially provides us with the same performance as an external reservoir would, but here it’s all internal. The OEs aren’t doing that, and it really becomes an issue for the consumer when a leveling kit is installed on the vehicle, or any type of modification is done to the torsion bar on an HD truck. When you do that, you’re raising the effective spring rate and putting that OE shock outside of the parameters it was designed for, so the suspension’s damping characteristics will be thrown off completely.”

ADS built the Mesa 2.5 Series shocks with those modifications in mind. Coilover versions of these dampers include Eibach springs with spring rates that are dialed in for the Mesa 2.5 shock’s progressive valving as well as the requirements of the specific vehicle platform. The result is a custom-tailored suspension component right out of the box.

Grigsby also points out that, in contrast to the rubber bushings typically found on OE shocks, the Mesa 2.5 Series is outfitted with stainless steel spherical joints at the upper and lower mounting points of the shock. “Rubber bushings have a tendency to crack and become problematic. A spherical joint will not only last a lot longer than a rubber bushing, it’s also going to get rid of that deflection and provide a much sportier feel behind the wheel.”

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It’s also important to note that Mesa 2.5 Series shocks are not only tunable using ADS’s valving and shim kits, they’re also rebuildable, which can end up saving owners a hefty chunk of change in the long run. “We include a shock service card with every set of shocks that we send out, so owners can keep track of things. Service internals vary based on how the vehicle is used, but if you’re daily driving the vehicle and going off-road occasionally, there’s no reason this shock shouldn’t last for 100,000 miles or more.

“A shock is ultimately a consumable item,” continues Grigsby. “The lifespan of an OE shock is typically around 30,000 miles or so, perhaps even less if you install larger wheels and tires on the vehicle. But with a rebuildable shock like this one, instead of throwing it in the trash and putting another shock on, you can just service it and be back on the road with shocks that are good as new. Between our seal kit and the shock oil, the cost of the rebuild components is about $50 all in. And that means this is the last set of shocks you’ll need to buy for the vehicle.” These shocks are also outfitted with anodized caps, 303 stainless steel hardware, and are treated with Cerakote to provide additional protection against corrosion and UV damage.

Mesa 2.5 Series shocks are currently available for 1997-2024 Jeep Wrangler, 2014-2024 Ford F-150, and 2001-2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. Grigsby says that support for additional platforms is on the way.

“We also want to have complete coverage for all late model Ram trucks, 2007-to-current Chevrolet and GMC 1500-series trucks, and 1999-to-current Ford Super Duty trucks. Those are next on the list, along with the 1983-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ. All of those should be available by the first quarter of 2025.”

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