08-08-2023, 10:55 PM
I go up once in a while and was just up there a few weeks ago.
I drive a 4WD Tacoma and from my perspective the need for the 4WD is for coming down the mountain. I think most normal 2WD vehicles would be very capable of going up the mountain but it is coming down where the concern is.
Using 4WD low I can descend the whole mountain without touching my brakes. Actually, the last 2 times I was at the mountain the rangers have you stop at the road block and use a temperature gun to check the temperature of your brakes. Ranger told me they were looking for a temperature of 200 or below. If you are above the 200 I assume you will need to wait until the temp comes down to proceed the rest of the way down the mountain for fear of brake failure.
In all honesty I still keep my truck in 4WD all the rest of the way down the access road because it is still very steep from the ranger's station down to the highway and the possibility of overheating your brakes is still very high. I am pretty sure overheated brakes is what caused the crash and fatalities below the ranger station previously.
As far as Waipio goes I don't think its as much about brake fade as it is just overall safety since the road is so short and overheating the brakes would not be as likely as descending Mauna Kea.
The ascent up the hill out of Waipio may be a problem for normal passenger vehicles loaded with 4-5 passengers and gear. Also, once at the bottom of the road if you are trying to get to the beach you will need some serious clearance due to the huge ruts and "ponds" you will need to go through to get to the beach.
I drive a 4WD Tacoma and from my perspective the need for the 4WD is for coming down the mountain. I think most normal 2WD vehicles would be very capable of going up the mountain but it is coming down where the concern is.
Using 4WD low I can descend the whole mountain without touching my brakes. Actually, the last 2 times I was at the mountain the rangers have you stop at the road block and use a temperature gun to check the temperature of your brakes. Ranger told me they were looking for a temperature of 200 or below. If you are above the 200 I assume you will need to wait until the temp comes down to proceed the rest of the way down the mountain for fear of brake failure.
In all honesty I still keep my truck in 4WD all the rest of the way down the access road because it is still very steep from the ranger's station down to the highway and the possibility of overheating your brakes is still very high. I am pretty sure overheated brakes is what caused the crash and fatalities below the ranger station previously.
As far as Waipio goes I don't think its as much about brake fade as it is just overall safety since the road is so short and overheating the brakes would not be as likely as descending Mauna Kea.
The ascent up the hill out of Waipio may be a problem for normal passenger vehicles loaded with 4-5 passengers and gear. Also, once at the bottom of the road if you are trying to get to the beach you will need some serious clearance due to the huge ruts and "ponds" you will need to go through to get to the beach.