MAZ stands for Minsk Automobile Plant. At the same time, Minsk is the only city in the Soviet Union that has two plants related to transport. There is also a tractor factory in the city. A typical emblem of MAZ is a variety of modes of transport. These are buses, trolleybuses and a whole family of trucks. The well-known KamAZ truck received its cabover-free configuration precisely from the Minsk plant, or rather, from the 500 series models, the logical continuation of which was the MAZ 5335.
The history of the plant is considered to be from the post-war years, but its first buildings appeared during the Great Patriotic War. It was on the territory of the current MAZ that the Germans built a Wehrmacht automobile repair plant. The war ended, after it the factory was rebuilt, the production of YaMZ 200 cars, the first post-war trucks, was transferred here. A version with a 4x2 wheel arrangement has gone to Minsk. Yaroslavl handed over three-axle trucks to Kremenchug, and KrAZ trucks gathered at their base. Since then, Yaroslavl has been engaged only in motors. YaMZ engines were installed on almost all trucks of the Union, including MAZ 5335, the hero of today's review.
Birth of the 500th
After receiving the 200th model from Yaroslavl, Minsk dwellers slightly updated it, and under the MAZ 200 index it was mass-produced until 1957. In February, the Minsk plant received a decree from the Minavtoprom on the development of a new car. And although the plant still produced the MAZ 200, in the same year, the development of a new model, which received the 500 index, began in full swing. All subsequent versions, and Minsk did not plan to stop producing only one onboard truck, were supposed to receive indices starting at 50 For example, a dump truck was supposed to get an index of 503, a tractor - 504, etc. (501 and 502 remained at the stage of the drawings).
New solution
It should be noted that the trucks of those years were built according to the principle, which later became known as the "classic". First, the power unit is placed on the frame - this is the engine and control system, then the cab, only after that the main part of the truck, the body, is installed through the gap. If you want more load - make the frame longer.
It is easy to see that the 500 model shown in the figure above is assembled according to a different principle. Minsk decided to try a new version - an intermediate one, when the cab was moving closer to the power unit, as a result of which a longer body could be installed on the frame. But the third option went into the final project, and it is precisely the MAZ 5335 car and all subsequent truck developments in the Union that use it. In the new version, the motor was under the cab, and for repair it leaned forward. This layout had several positive qualities, one of which was an increase in carrying capacity by almost 2000 kg; the second plus was that the frame length remained unchanged.
Break-in options
In 1960, the MAZ 200P and MAZ 200M (respectively, onboard and tractor) appeared. Assembled over the next 5 years, they get some new developments that are planned for the 500th model. The first production model 500 rolls off the assembly line in March 1965, and in December of that year, the 200th edition officially closed. The last car goes on a pedestal and becomes a monument at the factory exhibition.
Production start
The next version of the new 500th model was released in 1970. The code name is MAZ 500A. Its main difference was a more modern checkpoint. In addition, the car included many small corrections, but in total the car turned out to be, a little smaller than the prototype in size, but larger in carrying capacity and maximum speed. Over the next few years, the plant collects feedback and suggestions from the owners of the modified versions of the 500 model, and in 1977 the following model appeared - the MAZ 5335 flatbed truck.
This model externally repeated 500A (with the exception of one detail, which is described below), but inside it was a completely different car. Safety has grown, thanks to a separate brake system, the comfort of the cab has increased, some details have changed, as a result of which all the technical and economic indicators of the machine have improved.
External difference
In connection with the requests of consumers, as well as for harmonization with European standards, the plant had to change the external characteristics of the MAZ 5335. The changes related mainly to the appearance of the cabin, the rest of the parameters passed from version 500A. Firstly, a road train sign appeared on the roof, which entailed the disappearance of hatches on it. The second, and most important, change affected optics. Headlights moved to the bumper. Such an installation solved 2 problems at once. High setting of headlights from previous cars in the dark created a problem for oncoming vehicles. Moving headlights solved this issue, in addition, a new position gave better illumination of the roadway.
As a result of this modification, the radiator grille of the new MAZ 5335 has become wider, but only visually. The dimensions of the radiator remained the same as on the first cars of the 500th model. An extension is a sham. A metal plug under the turn signals closes the empty places where headlights used to be located.
Modifications 5335
With the exception of several individual models, all machines developed earlier on the basis of an onboard truck received new indexes.
- The new generation truck tractor received index 5429.
- The dump truck received 5549.
- The redesigned chassis for installing other bodies received an index of 5534.
Two models remained almost unchanged, this is a timber truck - model 509. The second model, which received a new symbol in the old name after modification, should be noted separately. With the exception of one feature, it was the same MAZ 5335.
The mass of this model was a third more than that of an onboard truck, and amounted to approximately 25,000 kg. This car was designed as a reinforced version of the base, and became the only triaxial model of the Minsk Automobile Plant. At the same time, it was the first car that has the ability to lower the rear axle. The development based on the 500th model was named 516. On the basis of 5335, it turned into 516B (sometimes referred to as 516A).
Filling
Having mentioned the enhanced version, it's time to consider the parameters of the main model - MAZ 5335. The technical characteristics of the machine changed several times, but in the end the plant settled on the following:
- Payload - 8000 kg, permissible trailer weight - 12000.
- Length - 7140 mm, width - 2500, clearance - 290 mm.
- The maximum speed of 85 km / h is provided by the YaMZ 236 diesel engine (piston diameter 130 mm, working stroke 140 mm) with a working volume of 11.5 liters.
- The volume of the tank is 200 liters.
- Fuel consumption of 22 liters per 100 km.
Depending on the model, these specifications may vary slightly. For example, in version 5549 (dump truck), the width, as well as the length, will be slightly larger.
But in general, the characteristics of all modifications repeat the specifications of the base, which is an onboard truck. The clutch MAZ 5335, as well as some other details, was not omitted by chance. A dry two-disc principle is used, which allows shifting gears under load, which has passed from the first models of the 500th series.
Conclusion
Trucks of the 500th model are rightfully considered the brightest page in the history of the Minsk Automobile Plant. It was completely the own development of Minsk residents, which gave rise to subsequent work, the first of which was MAZ 5335. Photos of this truck were presented above in the review, but in general, this version was not something special. However, it has become a model that allows Minsk trucks to appear on European roads.