This summer we are planning a road trip to Colorado and we want to drive up Pikes Peak. We have been there before and know that it’s pretty hard on a vehicle. Is there anybody in the Colorado Springs area that’s made the climb to the top of Pikes Peak in their 07’ Tahoe? If so, how did it handle the climb? Did you have any trouble with the engine at altitude or did the brakes overheat when descending? Any information is appreciated.

 

should have no problem, put it in gear 1 or something.

 

Put your feet to the floor and never let up, pitch the car slightly to the left then sharply to the right to initiate a power slide on each turn. Make sure you never, ever let up on the gas until you reach the top. On the way down I prefer to not take the road but rather the quickest line down(watch for trees!!! rocks are OK just bunny-hop over them.). Again just keep the gas pedal completely pressed down to make sure you have enough speed down the slope.

 

For the Tahoe it's a piece of cake. I drove my in-law's Oldsmobile Minivan (3.4 liter, 180HP...woo hoo)up Pike's Peak and it had no problems whatsoever. Just put it in L1 for the entire trip. On the way down at the halfway point or sothe park ranger will check your brake temps with an infared gauge. If they are too hot you have to stop for a cool-down but you will not have any problems if you use L1 for your descent.....

The biggest problem you will have is avoiding the desire to go faster. The posted limit is pretty low (25?) but you'll be tempted to go faster. Of course there are the cliffs with no guard rails to "encourage" you to slow down a bit.....

 

Thanks for the info Fredster. Like I stated before we have been up there before. The last time was in 1996 in a new Astro Van. It had the 4.3 V-6 and made it just fine using low gears in some areas. It also passed thebrake inspection on the way down. I was just wondering how the new Tahoes preformed. I've never had a vehicle with so much high tech stuff on board before. All this stuff seems to work well on flat ground but at high altitudes 14,110ft. do all of the whistles and bells continue to function? WhenI was there it was apparent that over heating was a big problem for many vehicles. Will the electric fans do the job and will all the computer controlled systems continue to work under these extreme conditions? The Devil's Play Ground would be a hell of a place for the DIC or engine check lights to go crazy. After reading this forum for several months now it seems like some ofthese things are occuringduring regularnormal driving.