Specifications MAZ-515, car overview

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

The Soviet Union has always been famous for its technology. In the USSR, they made very high-quality and reliable trucks. Today we will pay attention to the Belarusian tractor MAZ-515 and modifications built on its basis. This car is considered no less legendary than the "five hundredth" MAZ. So what is this car? Review of the Soviet truck tractor MAZ-515 - later in our article. We hope it will be interesting.

MAZ-515: history and characteristics (briefly)

The economy was growing at a tremendous pace and the country simply needed a new vehicle capable of transporting heavy loads. So, in the 60s, engineers began to develop a three-axle truck tractor. It was built on the basis of the MAZ-500 series car. So, the hanging third axle has become a key feature of the novelty. It could rise and fall depending on the current load. This is a kind of prototype of the modern "sloth", which is often used on European trucks "Volvo", "DAF" and others. The purpose of creating the "sloth" was simple. The presence of a liftable axle contributed to an increase in carrying capacity up to 30 tons. And when moving without load, only two bridges were used. Thus, the MAZ-515 was maneuverable and at the same time consumed less fuel. It must be said that this particular model became the first Soviet truck where such a rear axle design was ever used. Interesting fact: MAZ-515 was only a prototype. The truck of the 516th model went into the series. Initially, a three-axle semi-trailer was provided for the MAZ-515 truck. However, a road train with a two-axle semi-trailer MAZ-941 went for testing.

The first batch of MAZs with a liftable axle rolled off the assembly line in 1969. Serial production lasted until the 81st year.

Appearance

This three-axle tractor was built on the basis of the two-axle "saddler" MAZ-500. For such a characteristic shape of the cabin and headlights, in the circle of drivers, the “five hundredth” was called the “tadpole”. The cabin design itself has not changed. In this form, she switched to the MAZ-515 truck. So, in front of the car there is an iron grille with "two-story" slots for air flow to the radiator. On the sides are halogen glass round headlights. At the bottom are turn signals, as well as marker lights. Bumper - metal, with a hook in the center in case of towing on a rigid hitch. On the roof there are three marker lights. The cabin was with a sleeping bag. However, the wall of the sleeping bag was not deaf. Curtains covered the cockpit from the sun's rays. By the way, there were also transparent windows on the back wall.

Wheels are built ontype "KamAZ". This can be seen in the characteristic shape of the hubs. In general, Soviet trucks had a minimum of plastic parts. Even the air filter housing was iron, not to mention the fenders. I must say that the metal on these trucks did not rust. Either the quality of the painting is, or the metal itself is good. Now, of course, it is rare to find a three-axle truck MAZ-516. But the quality of the metal and painting can be judged by the "500th" MAZ, because the design here was almost the same.

Modification "A"

This is also a prototype truck, however, among the characteristic differences, it is worth noting the wheelbase increased by 10 centimeters between the first and middle axles. The cab on this truck was installed from the MAZ of the five hundredth model. In technical terms, modification "A" is identical to the regular model 516 (we will tell you about the characteristics in more detail below).

Modification "B"

What does the MAZ-515B truck tractor look like? The reader can see a photo of the Soviet truck below.

What is the difference between this model and the base one is immediately noticeable. First, this truck received a different grille. The same was installed on the updated "tadpole". The radiator grill has become plastic. The head optics have also changed. So, the headlights became more rectangular and were moved to a metal bumper. Also, fog lights and two towing “fangs” appeared in the bumper. On the roof, marker lights are still placed. The shape of the mirrors has not changed either. Among other differences of this modification, it is worth noting the newfuel tank. So, instead of two small ones, on modification "B" a large tank was installed on the left side of the frame. This truck tractor has been mass-produced since 1977.

Dimensions, clearance, load capacity

Let's consider what dimensions the MAZ-515 truck has. The total length of the truck tractor is 8.52 meters. Width - exactly 2.5 meters, height - 2.65. At the same time, the curb weight of the machine is 8.8 tons. As for the load capacity, the maximum saddle load can reach up to 16.5 tons. At the same time, the road train is capable of towing trailers with a load of up to 30 tons. The ground clearance of MAZ trucks of the 515 family is 27 centimeters. This allows you to operate the car both on highways and in rough terrain.

Cab

Since the cabin was installed from the "tadpole", inside everything is the same. This is a huge steering wheel without the possibility of adjustments, as well as flat fabric seats. The instrument panel is iron, all pointers are arrows. The cabin is designed for three people. There was also one sleeping bunk. The windshield consists of two parts. There is a partition in the middle.

There is a minimum of electrics in the cockpit. Not even a radio. But I must say that the MAZ-515 and its serial model 516 received several improvements. So, the cabin was insulated, soft upholstery appeared, handrails, the seat received height adjustment. In some cases, installed:

• Blinds on the windows.
• Individual lighting fixtures.
• Diningtable.
• Additional heater.
• Sun visors.
• Air conditioner.

This makes it possible to provide comfortable working conditions for drivers on long-haul flights. Among other things, it is worth noting a great review. MAZ-516 did not have a hood, like KrAZ, and the landing was as high as possible. The presence of dead zones is minimized. But there are only two side mirrors.

Specifications

So, let's look at the technical characteristics of the MAZ-515. As a power unit for this truck, a diesel engine from the Yaroslavl Motor Plant was used. It was the YaMZ-238N unit. What is this motor? This is a V-shaped, eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 14860 cubic centimeters. The cylinder diameter is 130 millimeters. And the piston stroke is 140 millimeters. The rated power of the Yaroslavl motor is 300 horsepower or 220.5 kW. Torque - 1088 Nm at one and a half thousand revolutions per minute. In this case, the minimum crankshaft speed is 550 rpm at idle. The maximum frequency is 2275 rpm.

Despite its weight, the car is capable of accelerating up to 85 kilometers per hour. At the same time, fuel consumption is 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Of course, this indicator could differ in real conditions, but it was still less than that of KamAZ, which was released a little later.

Fuel system features

This power unit features direct fuel injection. At the same time, separate fuel supply equipment was installed at the YaMZ. injection pump- old-style, eight-plunger. In this case, a piston fuel priming pump is used. It is distinguished by the presence of a device for manually pumping fuel. Nozzles - closed type with multi-hole spray.

Other engine systems

Unlike the 500 model, this truck tractor used a turbocharged engine. This allowed a significant increase in power and torque while maintaining the working volume. So, on the Yaroslavl motor, a centrifugal compressor with a vaned diffuser and a centripetal radial turbine were used. Lubrication system - mixed type. Lubrication was carried out by spraying, under pressure. Piston cooling - jet. Three oil filters were used as cleaning elements:

• Fine cleaning. It is a jet driven centrifugal element.
• Rough cleaning. Contains a steel mesh filter element.
• Turbocharger filter. It is distinguished by the presence of replaceable cleaning elements.

Now about the cooling system. It was classic - liquid, closed type. Antifreeze was forcibly circulated through the system by means of a pump. Also, two circuits are used in the cooling system. One is small, the other is large. During warm-up, antifreeze circulates through the primary circuit, bypassing the main cooling radiator. So the machine quickly gains operating temperature, which is important in winter. And when the engine warms up to 80 degrees, the thermostat opens and the liquid begins to circulate in a large circle, cooling atthis in the main radiator. According to reviews, this system is quite reliable. The 500th MAZs never boiled and could be operated both in the south and in the Far North.

As a starting device, a direct current starter with an electromagnetic drive, sequential excitation was used. The maximum starter power is 8.1 kW or eleven horsepower. The generator is a three-phase type, with a synchronous AC motor. In this case, the nominal voltage of the generator is 14 volts. The current that the device generates is 85 amperes.

Transmission MAZ

This vehicle is equipped with an eight-speed manual transmission with mechanical remote control and overdrive. Synchronizers are present in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th gears. In the gearbox housing on a ball bearing, a primary shaft with a gear is installed. There is also an intermediate shaft. The rear bearing seat is sealed with a cast iron cap.

Reverse gear and first gear are cut on the shaft itself. And the gears of other speeds (starting from the second and ending with the fifth) are mounted on the shaft on the keys. There is a damper on the countershaft drive gear. This reduces the vibrations that are transmitted from the engine flywheel. Also, the need to install this damper is due to the insufficient uniformity of the diesel engine. The ring gear is made separately from the hub and is connected to it by means of cylindrical springsin a total of six pieces. The vibrations that are transmitted to the crown are reduced due to the deformation of the springs. On the side between the output shaft of the MAZ gearbox and the intermediate ones there is an axle. It has an intermediate reverse gear (double). The front gear engages with the first gear of the countershaft. And the rear interacts when reverse gear is engaged.

Front output shaft mounted on a roller bearing. The rear end is in the crankcase and mounted on a ball bearing. The outward end of the shaft has a universal joint flange and a speedometer drive gear.

Also, gears of the second, third and fifth overdrive gears are installed on the secondary shaft. It uses a steel plain bearing. To prevent the gears from moving in the longitudinal direction, special thrust rings are used. All three parts are distinguished by oblique teeth. They engage with the intermediate shaft gears. From the ends there is a conical surface. Between the gears there are synchronizers that provide silent and smooth gear shifting. The synchronizer itself consists of a clutch that is mounted on the shaft or on its splines (depending on whether it is a front or rear synchronizer). The element also includes bronze conical rings. The synchronizer housing is connected by means of ball clamps to the clutch. Outside, a ring is attached with pins. Its groove includes a shift fork.

Chassis

Let's consider the device of the running gear. It is almost identical to the MAZ of the five hundredth series. So, the Soviet three-axle saddlethe MAZ-515 tractor is built on a steel riveted frame with five cross beams and spars of channel section. There is a buffer on the front of the frame. There is a towing device with a hook at the back.

The front axle is a pivot beam and is hung to the frame on longitudinal semi-elliptical springs. At its ends are attached knuckles with trunnions. In the holes of the first there are bronze bushings. The king pin itself has a conical shape in the middle part and is fastened with nuts with a spacer sleeve and a washer. A felt seal is additionally installed.

Through the thrust ball bearing, the axle rests on the fork of the fist. There is a spherical washer above the bearing. There are shims between the knuckle fork and the axle. The hub itself is cast together with the spokes. The hub is mounted on two tapered roller bearings and secured with a nut with a stopper. Also, these nuts are covered with a protective cap. On the inside of the hub there is a housing with a self-clamping gland. A brake shield is attached to the steering knuckle (or rather, to its flange). Brake drums are attached to the hub.

The front springs are installed and secured with stepladders. The front end of the sheet is connected with a pin to the frame bracket. The rear end features a sliding connection and is installed between the pin sleeve and the cracker. Double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers are also used at the front. There are rubber stops on the frame and on the spring.

The rear axle is attached to the frame by means of semi-elliptical springs with sprung springs. Connection typesheets with a frame is the same as in the previous case. Wheel type - discless. The hub is cast from steel, on which the wheel rim is attached by means of clamps with nuts. There are also side and lock rings. The braking system is air, like on other Soviet trucks. All wheels were equipped with drum brakes. I must say that the system turned out to be quite effective. Thus, the stopping distance of a road train from 40 to 0 kilometers per hour is 18.8 meters.

Rear wheels are dual. The rims are attached to the hubs with nuts with shaped clamps. Between the rims there is a spacer ring. The spare wheel is mounted on a folding bracket on the right side of the frame. The wheel is lifted with a hoist, which is included in the driver's tool kit.

The steering is a screw-nut on circulating balls and a rack-toothed sector. Additionally, a hydraulic power steering is used.

Other interesting facts

Among those worth noting:

• The hero of our review was the protagonist's race car in the movie World Guy.
• Nash Autoprom has released a scale model of a prototype MAZ-515 and a serial truck tractor 516. By the way, including the car from the movie World Guy.
• In 1974, at the exhibition, which was dedicated to the sixtieth anniversary of the Soviet automobile industry, the MAZ-515B tractor was presented, which received a cab from model 5335. Everything would be fine, but model 5335 itself was put into production only three years later after the presentation of the three-axle MAZ.

MAZ-514

Considering modifications of the 500th MAZ, it is worth paying attention to the 514th model. It was a three-axle onboard main truck designed to work as part of a road train with a MAZ-5205A trailer. the drive was carried out on two rear axles. The machine is capable of carrying up to 32 tons of cargo as part of a road train. "Single" took on board up to 14 tons. It was originally planned that the car would be equipped with engines with a capacity of 240 to 270 horsepower. The YaMZ-236 engine for six cylinders was low-power for such a composition, and the Yaroslavl engine builders were clearly late with the development of the 238th model. What happened in the end? For testing in the 66th year, the car left with the 236th engine. By the way, on this model, the engineers practiced the Timken-type suspension. However, as practice has shown, it turned out to be crude and had a lot of flaws. Closer to the 70s, this car was significantly improved. So, the chassis has undergone a change. The location of the spare wheel, tanks and batteries has changed. And in the 71st year, an eight-cylinder YaMZ-238 engine with a capacity of 240 horsepower was developed for this engine. This motor has already gone into series. However, the carrying capacity of the road train still had to be reduced to 23 tons. The suspension has become balanced, with a through rear axle. The gearbox is the same as on the 516 - mechanical, eight-speed.

Interesting fact: in the 74th year, this car still managed to install a more powerful YaMZ-238E turbocharged engine. So, according to passport data, this cardeveloped up to 270 horsepower. However, the cockpit design remains the same.

Prices

MAZ-515, unfortunately, cannot be purchased on the secondary market. To this day, there are no serial tractors of the 516 model left either. However, there is an ancestor on sale - the five hundredth MAZ. It can be bought at a price of 80 to 150 thousand rubles.

MAZ truck in ETS-2 game simulator

If you can't see such vehicles on the streets of cities, then you can try yourself in the guise of an old MAZ truck driver in the ETS-2 game. MAZ-515 is offered as a mod. That is, it is downloaded separately and installed instead of another (imported) truck. Mod "MAZ-515" in ETS-2 is free. What this car looks like in this simulator, the reader can see in the photo below.

Summing up

So, we found out what technical characteristics the MAZ-515 has (reviews of which, by the way, were only the best at one time) and features. This is a legendary truck, which, alas, has not survived to our times. It was on this model that a lifting axle was first practiced, as well as a more powerful engine, which later began to be installed on other MAZ vehicles.