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West meets East in Russian Vehicle Design

21st July 1984, Page 24
21st July 1984
Page 24
Page 25
Page 24, 21st July 1984 — West meets East in Russian Vehicle Design
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Russian haulage vehicles have been developed to ECE and EEC standards. There is a strong Scandanavian elements in their cab construction. Our East European correspondent reports

ECE AND EEC vehicle construction standards are having a strong impact on vehicles being built today. This is quite apparent from the details of new designs released in recent months by Autoexport, the USSR's state organisation responsible for Russian automotive export business. And there are other Western influences too. For instance the latest Russianbuilt heavy duty cabs are subjected to the Swedish impact test in the course of their design development.

There is of course quite a lot of co-operation with Western manufacturers such as the joint project between Russian and Finnish commercial vehicle interests. This is resulting in a wide range of Finnish special purpose bodies being mounted on Russian-built KAMAZ, MAZ, KRAZ and GAZ chassis. They are for sale in Russia itself and for export to other countries mainly in Eastern Europe.

Autoexport indicated recently that the bodies included tankers, cranes, containers (and lifting equipment for them), concrete mixers and municipal refuse collectors. The Finnish bodybuilders involved are Telinekeskus (makers of the Bronto lifts for fire fighting and overhead maintenance and repair work) Partek (manufacturer of the MuItilift system of demountable bodies), Norba (refuse collectors) and Nummi (cranes and ISO container carriers).

As in the Western world, so in Russia there is a preoccupation with robots. They are, for example, in extensive use at the Zil Motor Works in Moscow particularly on the truck cab line producing the cab for the ZIL130.

Robots are in extensive use too at the Kamaz truck works where they are being used for such varying duties as gearbox manufacture and truck frame rivetting. Some 40 robots were installed at Kamaz in 1981 and a further 200 were due to be in use by 1985. Extensive robotisation programmes are in hand at many other Soviet factories including those at Gorky and Minsk where Gaz and Maz vehicles are produced.

Production technology, in this sector, is centred at the USSR Motor Industry Technology R and D Institute (NIITAUTOPROM for short).

Truck development is obviously regarded as important in Russia. In recent years Russian engineers have been working on developing a unified range of heavy trucks of load capacities from 8 to 280 tons.

This programme is being put together by the Byelorussiarian Truck Production Amalgamation (Belautomaz) and it involved the three main manufacturing groups, MAZ truck production, BeJaz heavy tipper/dumper manufacture and the Mogilev Motor Works, which makes a wide range of trailers for export.

Belautomaz controls the research and development programme through several research and design departments. It is their basic work that has resulted in some of the more modern truck designs to come out of Russia, like the MAZ range. The latest of these announced at the end of last year is the MAZ-8422 designed for operation at up to 47 tonnes gcw.

Fitted with a two-berth sleeper cab, it is powered by an eight cylinder diesel engine producing 235 kW (315 bhp) and is matched with an eight-speed synchromesh gearbox.

One of Russia's greatest industrial projects in the 1970s was the establishment of, its Kama River Motor Works. What it called its "third generation" truck range went into full production there last year, Autoexport said then that these vehicles have been developed to comply with European safety and environmental protection standards (both European Community and Economic Commission for Europe — UN).

The third generation models include both two-axle and threeaxle rigid models and tractor units for articulated vehicle use.

The two-axle (4x2) rigid designs include the KAMAZ 5315 and 5325 which are available in six wheelbase lengths (3.5m, 3.8m, 4.2m, 4.65m 5m and 5.5m). Power in all cases is by a V8 direct injection 10.85 litre air cooled turbocharged diesel engine rated at 191kW (260bhp) DIN with a similar engine rated at 214kW (290bhp) DIN as an option.

Note again this results from a deal with a Western manufacturer as these are basically Deutz engines produced under licence. Autoexport also indicates that the turbochargers are dualsourced, the standard models being the K-27 from the KKK company in West Germany and the HIB model from Holset in the UK.

These engines are matched with either a fiveor 10-speed gearbox and either a 6.27 to 1 or 6.76 to 1 ratio back axle load with an axle load capacity of 13 tonnes. The two-axled tractor unit versions for artic use hauling semi-trailers are the KAMAZ 5415 and the KAMAZ 5425.

There are several versions of the three-axled design. The main dropside 6X4 truck model built for drawbar trailer work is the KAMAZ 53222. This has a load capacity of 14 tonnes when travelling solo.

As a 6x4 tractor unit for semitrailer hauling it is designated as the KAMAZ 54122. Three wheelbase lengths are offered (2.84m, 3.19m and 3.69m with 4m, 5m and 6m frame lengths respectively).

The same engine and gearbox options are offered on the threeaxled models as on the two-axled designs — but there are four different back axle ratios offered (5.4 to 1, 5.94 to 1, 6,53 to 1 and 7.22 to 1).

Braking is by air-operated lines to drum-type brakes which, says Autoexport, are larger than on previous models.

The suspension used in all instances is described as "conventional spring-type with hydraulic shock absorbers and lateral stabilisers."

More recently a new all-wheel drive six-wheeler, the KAMAZ 4310, a derivative of the KAMAZ 5320 series 6 x 4, made its debut. It is designed for carrying loads of up to 5 tons off-road and for towing 7 to 10 ton trailers, on or off-road and in temperatures ranging from —40° Centigrade to +50°C.

It is powered by a 68 diesel engine developing 1 54kW (210bhp) DIN at 2,600 rev/min and has a maximum torque of 637Nm at 1,500-1,1800 rev/min. This is matched with a fivespeed synchromesh gearbox. The two-speed transfer box and inter-axle differential lock are both electro-pneumatically controlled from the cab. As an option, an up to 44kW (60bhp) DIN power take-off unit can be installed.

Suspension is by semi-elliptic springs supplemented by hydraulic shock absorbers on the front axle. The rear wheel suspension is of the walking-beam type, with torque rods.

Interestingly, a central tyre inflation system with pressure control maintained from the cab, enables the truck to perform to maximum advantage on all types of terrain, even on loose or wet ground by increasing or decreasing tyre pressure. Steering is power-assisted.

Again a two-line air brake system operating on drum-type brakes is fitted, but the vehicle can be operated with a trailer equipped with either single-circuit or dual-circuit braking systems. A spring parking brake is fitted.

The all metal cab comes in two forms as a conventional and as a sleeper cab. The hydraulic mechanism which tilts the cab through an angle of up to 60 deg can also be used for lifting or lowering the spare wheel.

Both the driver's and passenger's seats are adjustable and the heated cab is sound-insulated. Optional extras include a self-reco very 10-ton winch for overcoming tough obstacles in cross country operations. The vehicle, which has an overall length of 7,510 has a kerb weight of 8,410kg and a payload of 5,000kg. Its gross weight is 14,290kg. On hard surfaced roads a trailer of 10,000kg gross weight can be hauled but for "all roads and cross country driving" a gross trailer weight of 7,000kg is specified.

The offer of a production 6x6 reflects the fact that there seems to be a much greater requirement in Russia for all-wheeldrive vehicles. As a result, they do not seem to be regarded as "specials".

However, there are a number of factories in Russia producing tailor-made designs for particular purposes. One of these is the Kremenchug Motor Works in the Ukraine. Its latest is a bonneted three-axle chassis with a 9.2 ton kerb weight and a load capacity (with body) of 16.8 tons. This is the KRAZ 250 it is designed particularly for mounting cranes, tanks, pumps, mixers, telescopic towers, repair shops, drilling rigs, pile drivers and other equipment.

The KRAZ 250 is powered by a 14.86 litre in-line diesel engine producing 255bhp (185kW DIN at 2,300 rev/min). An improvement of 3 litres/100km in fuel consumption is reported for this new engine which features a new radiator and cooling system.

The 250's all metal can is also a new design. Made with ECE standards and CMEA recommendations in mind, it has two seats, a fully adjustable suspension unit, for the driver and another for two passengers.

Modern insulating and finishing materials have been used which, with rubber suspension, have cut down the in-cab noise level. The doors have double sealing, locks and guarterlights. Power-assisted steering is standard.

When the Zil Motor Works in Moscow launched the ZIL133GYa, it was the first batchproduced diesel-powered truck in the ZIL family. Incorporating the basic units and assemblies of the ZIL 133G.1, the new vehicle is designed to carry loads of various kinds up to 10 tons and tow a trailer of up to 11.5 tons.

It is powered by an eight-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine.


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