"The Beast" - Obama's car.

Rovi

Is it possible that there's some sort of self-levelling system (or something along those lines) that simply got over-extended by the sharp ramp it evidently had to negotiate to get through the gate?
Or possibly some hydraulic or electrical thingummy to do with the suspension system got damaged on the ramp?

I'd be amazed if it was a simple metal fatigue or wear-and-tear failure; wouldn't these things be scrupulously maintained and inspected to ensure their utter reliability at all times?

slinky2000

Wouldn't be too good in a multistory then :P

theonlyking

that car should be renamed the beached lol

cadaliac

Rovi wrote: »

Is it possible that there's some sort of self-levelling system (or something along those lines) that simply got over-extended by the sharp ramp it evidently had to negotiate to get through the gate?
Or possibly some hydraulic or electrical thingummy to do with the suspension system got damaged on the ramp?

I'd be amazed if it was a simple metal fatigue or wear-and-tear failure; wouldn't these things be scrupulously maintained and inspected to ensure their utter reliability at all times?

+1
The car would be checked for bombs etc. let alone fundamental mechanical checks.

If you look when the car is stuck, the front wheels are tucked up and in the front wheel arches.
There is a huge air gap between the rear wheels and the rear wheel arches.
This indicates to me that there is a self leveling system in place. If there wasn't, the space between the wheel and the wheel arches would be the same.
Also, the car just "banged" down on the ramp, compounding the mix of the front suspension lowering and the height of the ramp in one - making the hideous sound that it made when it made the contact.

JMSE

The spud took out whatever was right there underneath where the spud contacted. Gearbox output, propshaft for fwd?, crossmember under gearbox, torsion bar for suspension? Whatever it was it took out the drive capability because the first thing you would expect the driver to do would be to try and rock the car off the thing with forward and reverse but he doesnt, the drive is gone.

Tea 1000

JMSE wrote: »

The spud took out whatever was right there underneath where the spud contacted. Gearbox output, propshaft for fwd?, crossmember under gearbox, torsion bar for suspension? Whatever it was it took out the drive capability because the first thing you would expect the driver to do would be to try and rock the car off the thing with forward and reverse but he doesnt, the drive is gone.

There is absolutely no hope that the spud broke anything on the car. The thing is bomb proof. A little metal spike won't break it. It was the suspension that self-levelled or malfunctioned and sat the car down. With the weight of it, no amount of rocking would have gotten it free.

Casey87

I think there was no suspension prob, its THE BEAST, look at the back the wheels are nearly off the ground, the weight at the front(engine, box + steel and glass) has it sitting on its suspension!! If it was a suspension it wouldnt have malfunctioned so quick!

dell1211

JMSE wrote: »

The spud took out whatever was right there underneath where the spud contacted. Gearbox output, propshaft for fwd?, crossmember under gearbox, torsion bar for suspension? Whatever it was it took out the drive capability because the first thing you would expect the driver to do would be to try and rock the car off the thing with forward and reverse but he doesnt, the drive is gone.

as was said above, the floor is a solid armour plated sheet so the spud would not be capabale of penetrating anything

Padraig Mor

meercat wrote: »

would it be possible that there would be a security measure inbuilt (possibly tilt switch)that would make the beast" sit down" in the event of possible hijack where the vehicle was lifted
the ramp may have been too steep or there may have been a trigger underneath which drops the beast to prevent any attacker from accessing the underside

This is what I thought TBH.

GeneHunt

You can clearly hear the 7 series hitting the steel plate on the ground just before "The Beast" is impaled on the ramp here (Part 1). Sounds like the driver of the beast did try to reverse back - Well it sounds like the gear box getting a spin @0.24sec!!!:eek: Part 2 here too

TV3 had a good view point too (here)

It was also mentioned on Liveline yesterday here for the first 8 minutes of Liveline.

Bet this ramp/gate will be changed in the coming months so we will not see a repeat of this again... This was a major oversight by someone planning this visit. Local knowledge by Embassy staff should have known a car of a 7 series size (wheelbase) can clip that steel plate on the ground, common sense would have shown a longer car would be in trouble...

meercat wrote: »

would it be possible that there would be a security measure inbuilt (possibly tilt switch)that would make the beast" sit down" in the event of possible hijack where the vehicle was lifted
the ramp may have been too steep or there may have been a trigger underneath which drops the beast to prevent any attacker from accessing the underside

I don't believe that there was a "security measure inbuilt (possibly tilt switch)" because theses cars are transported by cargo planes which have much higher ramps for the cars to climb, I think that little steel plate hit and pulled the gear box or the sub frame back as the car travelled forward and caused the front suspension to collapse, I found this photo which shows what I think is the drive shaft hanging down under the car (between the guy on the phone and the front wheel)....




Rumour has it that Barack is to return to Ireland with this car:cool:

cadaliac

GeneHunt wrote: »

You can clearly hear the 7 series hitting the steel plate on the ground just before "The Beast" is impaled on the ramp here (Part 1). Sounds like the driver of the beast did try to reverse back - Well it sounds like the gear box getting a spin @0.24sec!!!:eek: Part 2 here too

TV3 had a good view point too (here)

It was also mentioned on Liveline yesterday here for the first 8 minutes of Liveline.

Bet this ramp/gate will be changed in the coming months so we will not see a repeat of this again... This was a major oversight by someone planning this visit. Local knowledge by Embassy staff should have known a car of a 7 series size (wheelbase) can clip that steel plate on the ground, common sense would have shown a longer car would be in trouble...




I don't believe that there was a "security measure inbuilt (possibly tilt switch)" because theses cars are transported by cargo planes which have much higher ramps for the cars to climb, I think that little steel plate hit and pulled the gear box or the sub frame back as the car travelled forward and caused the front suspension to collapse, I found this photo which shows what I think is the drive shaft hanging down under the car (between the guy on the phone and the front wheel)....




Rumour has it that Barack is to return to Ireland with this car:cool:

For a start, thats not a prop shaft in the photo. I don't claim to know what it is, but it surely isn't the shaft for that vehicle. It is simply too small. Anyway, why would a bomb proof car have an exposed prop shaft?
Also, can you explain why the front wheels are still tucked up in the front wheel arches while the car is being jacked up by the tow truck under the sump? I couldn't see anything under the front wheels.

sharkman

The spud for the gate connected with an Armoured plate on the underside . The car was not used after this in-case it had been compromised. I was told this this yesterday after CP Commercials towed it to the apron for loading .A friend of mine was working with the "reach flights" and was on the tarmac speaking with the guys loading the vehicles on the C17's.

JMSE

cadaliac wrote: »

For a start, thats not a prop shaft in the photo. I don't claim to know what it is, but it surely isn't the shaft for that vehicle. It is simply too small. Anyway, why would a bomb proof car have an exposed prop shaft?
Also, can you explain why the front wheels are still tucked up in the front wheel arches while the car is being jacked up by the tow truck under the sump? I couldn't see anything under the front wheels.

The car is capable of surviving certain attacks but not all, I'm sure the idea in the event of attack is for the president to hopefully survive due to the nature of the beast but the car has limitations. Getting out of the car and into a chopper asap would be their idea I'd think, and why? because its only a limo, it couldnt even escape the Ilac centre. It can only do 60mph. So why have an exposed propshaft, well to grease it maybe? No good having serviceable parts behind welded plates.
I'd love to know how the thing is suspended up front, leaf springs, shock towers, torsion bar and a-arms? Floating front axle or indepenent?

kirving

Maintainence wouln't be an issue really, they can take steel plate off if needs be.

The driveshaft on that car would be protected, absoutley no doubt about it. Getting away from the scene is the primary objective, armoured cars can only last so long against RPG's or bombs.

Since we can't be sure of the weight distribution of the limo, it is conceivable that the suspension didn't fail, and it just came to rest like that. Still, it looks odd alright.