The development of mechanical engineering in the USSR was given special attention. Each plant tried to create a technological car that would occupy its niche in the country's infrastructure chain. The plant in the city of Kutaisi did not lag behind the general trends and fulfilled the set requirements and tasks. The designers created a truck that has become legendary - KAZ-4540.
History of creation
In 1975, at the request of the State Agricultural Equipment of the USSR, NAMI, together with the State Design Bureau of the city of Balashov, which specialized in the creation of trailers for automotive and tractor equipment, as well as with the Yaroslavl plant, began the development of new equipment. The task was to create a new model of a road train for agricultural needs. The truck was supposed to be some kind of missing link, which included the collection of crops on the field, their further loading, as well as quick transportation and unloading.
In the early 80s, the production of new all-wheel drive trains was established on the basis of the Kutaisi plant. The basis for the new model was the prototype NAMI-0215, created from the usual KAZ-608B, with modernized running gear and a two-axis drive.
Before starting mass production and releasing a new truck in the open spaces of the former USSR, full-scale tests of samples were conducted. For this, 20 cars were originally created, on which all road and bench checks were carried out. In 1981, at the NAM test site, tests of a new road train were successfully completed. The designers did not stop there and made a number of amendments and changes to individual components and parts of the structure. After this, new experiments and further trials followed. The new KAZ-4540 had nothing to do with previous Colchis models.
Already in January 84th, when interagency tests were completed, the truck was recommended for launch in production. A month later, they created the first batch of 500 cars.
A truck tractor was also developed on the basis of this truck . He received a new marking - KAZ-4440.
Colchis
The model range of tractors produced by the Kutaisi plant received this name. The first truck left already in August 1951. Most of the components were brought from the Stalin factory. Thanks to the nodes of the Moscow enterprise, dump trucks, small truck tractors, and also cargo vehicles under the Colchis brand were assembled. Photos of the new copy were not similar to any of those existing at that time.
"4540" is a model designed to meet the needs of agriculture. Production continued from 1985 to 1998. During this period, several different modifications of the Colchis truck were created. A distinctive feature of the KAZ-4540 was a bright orange cabin with very large windshields.
Appointment
KAZ-4540 freight transport, which differed from all other models with two driving axles, was often used in conjunction with a GKB-8535 trailer. This bunch represented a road train used to transport agricultural products.
The KAZ-4540 dump truck is a universal machine with the possibility of unloading on three sides. Depending on the specifics of the materials or terrain, one specific method was used. The truck was equipped with an all-wheel drive with additional rear differential lock .
The technological design made it possible to use the machine in tandem with combines for harvesting grain and cotton crops. "Colchis" - a car with sufficient maneuverability required for equipment used in agriculture, and a capacity of 11 tons.
In 1990, the designers prepared documentation that would allow equipping the machine with a refrigerator, use it together with a loading platform, and also create a car for firefighters. Unfortunately, the developments did not receive further development and remained only on paper. Colchis, the photo of which is presented below, is the most popular instance at the time of the creation of the machine.
Cabin
Cab - cabless, located above the engine. Such a layout made it possible to increase maneuverability and use the entire platform as efficiently as possible. Colchis is a car with a short wheelbase and excellent visibility for the driver. The large cabin had a separate sitting area, a fan, and a heating stove. All this in total provided a sufficiently high comfort parameter for long and long flights. In 1985, it was a very good indicator.
In 1990, the production of a modernized version began. It was equipped with a hydraulic system to control the opening of the sides. When unloading on any of the working sides, the side was automatically closed.
Power component
A diesel engine of the YaMZ-KAZ-642 brand was installed on the machine. The KAZ-4540 engine was installed behind the wheelbase and was paired with an eight-speed gear shifter (4 available gears and an additional divider).
The power plant was located directly above the front axle, and all the organs providing control were shifted as far forward as possible. The driver's seat was above the engine. The decision to create such an arrangement was caused by the need to increase the usable area on which the transported materials were located. By increasing the exit angle, they increased cross-country ability. This arrangement ensured uniform load distribution on both axles. The front end accounts for 6.12 tons of weight, and the rear - 6.14 tons.
Uniform loading allowed the use of single wheels with wide tires, and also greatly simplified the system for monitoring pressure in air chambers.
Many innovations were introduced when creating the KAZ-4540. One of these was the disk SHRUS, which is more reliable than a spherical counterpart. The maximum speed was 80 km / h, but the load capacity was only 6 tons.
Chassis
The running equipment allows the machine to move along heavy dirt roads, as well as through fields after plowing. A transmission was installed on the KAZ-4540 dump truck with 8 positions, providing movement forward, as well as two backward. It was a complex structure consisting of a 4-speed gearbox and a divider with 2 modes of operation.
Dry clutch installed with friction discs and air drive. Rotation from the motor was fed to both axles. In the transfer case, a differential was installed for the implementation of interaxal locking. Management was carried out using a separate button located on the dashboard.
The front axle suspension is assembled from longitudinal springs and telescopic shock absorbers. Rear mounted semi-elliptical twin springs.
Advantages
Drivers who worked on the technique of the Colchis brand note that the most successful was the KAZ-4540 model. The reviews are not entirely unambiguous, but converge in many ways. The main advantages that have been noted:
- "4540" is the first dump truck in the USSR, created exclusively for the needs of agriculture.
- Simple maintenance and repair due to easy access to almost all components and mechanisms.
- Excellent cross-country ability with the maximum load of the road train.
- Cargo platform with three unloading options.
- Full-size cabless cab, which was equipped with the latest technology.
disadvantages
The low qualifications of the plant workers did not allow the creation of high-quality machinery. KAZ-4540 had a rather large number of shortcomings:
- Often the mechanism responsible for raising the cab failed.
- Frequent leaks of working fluids and oils at the joints of transmission and motor mechanisms.
- Injection pump was not able to produce the required parameters.
- The rivets responsible for fixing the front springs to the frame were also a weak point.
Some of the advantages of improper use and improper driving turned into disadvantages. The same load on both axles made it possible to increase cross-country ability, but with aggressive driving there was a high probability of the car tipping over. KAZ-4540, the characteristics of which are presented in the article, is still used in some regions of both Russia and Ukraine and in other countries of the former USSR.