2016 looks to be the biggest year ever for JKS Manufacturing! With new exciting new products on the horizon, new partnerships and exciting events planned for the year, 2016 started off with us staring at our calendars saying, "How are you we going to do all of this?"

JKS started off the year with an East Coast trip in the middle of January. After a series of meetings in our Michigan headquarters, we set off for Quadratec in Pennsylvania during what turned out to be one of the biggest winter storms in years!!! After a safe, but long journey through the PA turnpike, we spent several days at Quadratec's main office, doing product trainings, shooting demonstration videos and working with staff to reaffirm JKS's and Quadratec's long time relationship. You can check JKS's spread in the Quadratec 2016 Spring Catalog! From West Chester, Pete drove to Newark, NJ to spend a couple of days with our friends at OK Auto, 4WD & Tire, to walk them through building an overland ready JSpec Equipped JK.

As soon as Pete, JKS brand manager was home in LA from the East Coast trip, he took a jaunt to Johnson Valley to check out King of the Hammers 2016 for a couple of days where he spent most of his time pulling vehicles out of the sand.

After establishing a new partnership with Competition Specialties in Seattle, WA in late 2014, it came time for JKS to make it's debut at the Competition Specialties Mega Show at the end of February. Instead of flying, JKS decided to drive the JKS JSpec two door, battle damage and all, up the West Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle, visiting a few dealers on the way! Our California stops included Big John's Performance in Valencia, Direct Offroad in Bakersfield and Extreme Off Road and Repair in Clovis, Ca. After that it was time to get into the boost and trundle the Sprintex Supercharged JK up through the mountains of Northern Ca into Oregon, stopping at Gresham 4wd and Body Armor Performance Accessories in the Portland/Vancouver area. With a full day still left for the Mega Show, it was time to head East to check out Offroad Power Product's amazing new facilities in Spokane and to stop in and see Rockridge 4wd in Wenatchee, WA. JKS took the scenic route through the mountains via the 2 to Seattle (a drive we highly recommend if you're in the area), cruising all the way around the sound to pay a visit to Northridge 4x4, before heading back to the Sea-Tac area to get some sleep before setting up for the Competition Specialties Mega Show.

After the show in Seattle, it was time to engage the afterburners and blast back down through California so Pete, who is based in LA, could get a couple of days rest before hitting Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari 2016 at the Salton Sea! JKS invited Agile Offroad to come represent JKS manufacturing with their JSpec Equipped JK. Not only did we have the Agile JK, but since we shared we the row in the new vendor show with Fox Shocks, we got Brian from Fox to park his relatively mild JSpec Equipped JK to park on the JKS 2 door. People asked, "Why not take the JSpec Jeep and park it on the Fox Jeep?" Our answer: "Because the JSpec Jeep is on 37 inch tires and looks like it climb a wall, the Fox Jeep is stock daily driver with a JSpec kit, Fox Shocks and some 35 rubber!" On the first night of TDS, JKS, Fox, Agile and Dixie 4WD hopped in their Jeeps to go on a high speed, dusty caper through the backcountry around Truckhaven, the local Off Road Park. Reaching speeds of 80 MPH through the desert terrain at night was an unforgettable experience, proving and you don't have to spend a fortune to go fast in a JK! With a JSpec kit, some JKS Bumpstops and some good Fox Shocks, you can do as well going fast as you do going slow. Unfortunately the night was so dusty that we didn't get any good footage :(

That leads up to today! Now that Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari is a wrap it is time to turn our sights to Easter Jeep Safari 2016. With a week to go it's time to give the JSpec two a little refresh. 2015 was a crazy year for the little two door, with the body damage, smashed exhaust system and a very bent front axle to prove it! The JKS two door will join the JKS 2015 SEMA build at Easter Jeep Safari for our very own JKS trail run, co sponsored by Trail Jeeps, the vendor show, the Warn run, a trail run with Northridge 4x4 and the Sport Truck BBQ! Stay tuned!