ZIL-5301: photo, specifications, reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Choosing a commercial vehicle is never easy. On the market there are a lot of copies with different characteristics and prices. If we talk about light trucks, the most popular representative is GAZelle. But its carrying capacity is limited and is only one and a half tons. What to do if you need to carry three-ton cargo? For such purposes, Valdai and Bull (aka ZIL-5301) are suitable. We will talk about the latter today.

Description

ZIL-5301 "Bull" is a small-tonnage Russian car, which was mass-produced at the Likhachev Plant from 1995 to 2014. The first prototypes of the Bull appeared in 1991. This model became a small copy of the 4331st ZIL and was intended for small urban and interregional transportation. This truck is a three-ton truck and is a domestic analogue of the Mercedes T2 and Vario cars. By the way, for the last three years this car has been produced at the auto parts plant in Petrovsk (Saratov Region).

Appearance

The truck has a design that really resembles a bull - modest square headlights and a body extended forward. What does ZIL-5301 look like? The reader can see a photo of the truck in our article.

The bumper on the ZIL was metal. In the center - an eye for towing. The bumper is reliable, but over time the paint peeled off on it. Mirrors are the same as on the other ZILs. They are very large. But this is a big plus, drivers say. You can see every little detail in them. But over time, the fasteners loosen up. As a result, the picture is distorted at speed and bumps (because the mirror vibrates). The cab itself is very wide, and therefore it uses as many as three wiper blades. Above the cab there can be three marker lights. The factory did not provide spoilers and sleeping bags for this model. Everything that is sold on the secondary market is the result of the refinement of the owners-carriers themselves. The cab was self-cooked and the cargo body was moved back.

ZIL-5301 is a universal truck. On its basis, tented specimens, airborne, all-metal vans and refrigerators were created. Also, buses, fire engines and municipal vehicles were created on the basis of this ZIL.

What do reviews say about ZIL-5301? The owners unanimously say that the cab on the ZIL is rotting (and the paint will quickly peel off on the hood). This is the weak point of the Bull. Probably, there is not a single model now, wherever it has not been subjected to welding. But the frame on the "Bull" is quite strong and does not rust like a cabin.

ZIL-5301: dimensions, clearance

"Bull" had a different length of wheelbase. Basically, it was lengthened already outside the factory. The standard versions of the trucks had the following dimensions. The length was 6.2 meters, width - 2.32, height - 2.37 meters. The ground clearance is 18 centimeters. Access to the bottom was carried out without any lift. Repairs could be done "on the knee". But that's not all the advantages of "Bull". The car has a good geometric cross-country ability, so it is suitable not only for use on paved roads. Also, the car has a small turning radius, so it is no less maneuverable than the GAZelle. Parking in difficult places was also easy because the car was equipped with hydraulic power steering from the factory.

Cargo bay

Basically, the Bull came with an all-metal manufactured goods van. The factory produced versions with two-, three- and four-section vans. The useful volume of the body is from 10.5 to 20.5 cubic meters. m. Absolutely all versions of the trucks had a low loading height - 76 centimeters. However, the vans were also susceptible to corrosion. In view of this, some carriers installed bodies from foreign cars (for example, the Mercedes Vario). They were much lighter and didn't rust as quickly. Tilt structures were also present. But the body itself is very low, so many owners increased it.

The boards do not rot, as on GAZelles, which is a definite plus. But there is no top loading from the factory.

Cab

It was created on the basis of the ZIL-4331 truck. Therefore, it is not surprising that the design of the “Bull” inside has many similar details with the 4331th. The car received a large two-spoke steering wheel without adjustments, as well as a flat front panel. There are no acoustics or power windows. In general, there is a minimum of electronics. On the one hand, it is reliable (after all, there is, in fact, nothing to break), but on the other hand, the interior is by no means comfortable. Since this car was often taken for interregional transportation, the owners made an outside sleeping bag. Also on these ZILs you can see non-standard seats. Usually they were installed from Mercedes trucks (as in the photo below).

Factory seats had a flat shape and a limited range of adjustments. With them, the drivers quickly got tired back. Also, the owners often installed an audio system and a fan on their own, which saved them from the heat in the summer. By the way, the cabin itself is quite spacious. The utility versions were designed for six passenger seats.

Among the "childhood diseases" in the cabin of the "Bull" it is worth noting the poor sound insulation. Sounds from the street were clearly heard in the cockpit. The owners also say that ZIL has poor thermal insulation. The cabin cools down very quickly, which is why I had to use the stove often. And an additional heater (Rzhevsky), which was installed optionally, quickly fell into disrepair. A more reliable solution is to install an autonomous heater. It can be foreign "Webasto" or domestic "Planar". But both cost a lot of money. Therefore, they set an autonomousheater only those who often traveled long distances. Another disadvantage of the cabin, judging by the reviews, is that it gets very hot from the sun, and the sunroof on the roof does not save at all.

ZIL-5301: specifications

Under the hood of this car is a Belarusian diesel power unit MMZ (Minsk Motor Plant). Initially, the D-245 engine was installed on the "Bull". In fact, it was a modified version of the D240 tractor engine with MTZ. This power unit has a volume of 4.75 liters. In this case, the engine power is 105 horsepower. This motor was in-line, but with a turbine. In 1999, the D-245.12S engine was installed on the ZIL-5301. Also in the lineup there was a motor D-245.10. This engine is equipped with a Czech fuel system from Motorpal and a Schwitzer turbocharger. The engine has the simplest device and complies with Euro-1 environmental standards.

In 2003, a D-245.9 engine with a capacity of 136 horsepower was installed on the Bychok (it was produced at the same Minsk Motor Plant). This engine is equipped with an intercooler (charge air cooling system) and an air pressure regulator.

Despite such low power, the Belarusian diesel engines on the Bychka developed good torque, which is very important for commercial vehicles. Its value ranged from 1300 to 1700 Nm, depending on the modification.

The engines themselves are very unpretentious and generally reliable - say the reviews. Few owners have encountered such a problem as increased oil consumption and overheating.

Economy

Domestic diesel engine consumes 16 liters of fuel - this is according to passport data. But as the owners say, the real figure is different. In the city, the car spends about 20 liters of diesel.

On the highway - 18. The most economical mode is achieved at a speed of 60-70 kilometers per hour. The maximum speed of the Bull is 95 kilometers per hour.

Transmission

The truck was equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. The gearbox is very reliable. The clutch resource on the ZIL-5301 is 80 thousand kilometers. But the rear axle gearbox sometimes causes problems. They arise in the area of the crosses and satellites. The side gears of the differential are also failing.

Chassis

The car has a classic, spring suspension scheme. She is completely dependent. Front beam, rear - continuous bridge, supplemented by a stabilizer bar. The steering mechanism is a gear-reducer with hydraulic booster. Over time, the power steering starts to buzz.

But the brakes cause the most problems with running gear. They are pneumohydraulic. The scheme is complex and not very reliable. The owners had to regularly monitor the fluid level, as the protective covers on the brake calipers often burst and the tank itself was torn. As a result, the driver could simply be left without brakes.

How does a car behave on the road? Like any other truck, without load, the car is very tough on bumps. To make the suspensionsofter, at least one and a half tons must be loaded into the body. Rolls "Bull" is not as strong as its older brothers. But it's still not worth driving. The machine itself is very heavy (it weighs about four tons).

Cost

Trucks produced in the early 2000s are mostly sold on the secondary market. Their cost ranges from 130 to 300 thousand rubles. Basically, these are all-metal vans. The most expensive are tow trucks. Their price is about 450 thousand rubles.

Main pros and cons

What is the advantage of this truck? ZIL "Bychok" is one of the few vehicles that, with such a compact size, carries cargo with a tonnage almost like a "GAZon". But this is not always in demand, so the car cannot be called universal.

The machine is reliable in terms of power. The motor is moderately economical. The car is strong, but not fast. In maintenance, "Bull" is simple and maintainable. But due to the collapse of the plant, there are problems with finding spare parts. In addition, the car is less liquid than the GAZelle or GAZon.

Summing up

So, we found out what ZIL-5301 has characteristics and features. The machine has a simple and reliable engine, a powerful frame and a hardy box. But the truck is not without flaws. This is a constantly rusting cabin, a noisy and uncomfortable interior, as well as a problematic braking system. Should I buy it for work? There is no single answer to this question. The car has already been taken out of production, and findspare parts for it are more difficult than for the same Valdai. But the latter has no less roomy body and reliable engine.