Tractor MAZ-642208: design features

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

Launched in the early 60s, the MAZ 500 series cars did not have large reserves for modernization. Therefore, the Minsk Automobile Plant, in parallel with the improvement of serial production, began active work on the creation of promising tractors.

The birth of a new tractor

For ten years, the plant has built several series of experimental machines, differing in cabin design and technical characteristics. The final appearance of the new tractor under the designation MAZ-6422 was formed by 1977. The car had two driving axles at the rear and was intended to replace the aging MAZ-515 truck tractor.

Already next year, the experimental workshop of the plant produced a series of 10 vehicles shipped to the USSR fleets for testing in real operating conditions. Due to the workload of the main production, the production of such tractors went through an experimental workshop until the mid-80s. But all these machines went as serial and fell into the plan and reports of the plant. In total, at least one thousand cars passed through the experimental workshop. The photo shows a typical MAZ tractor.

Only in the second half of the 80s the car got on the main conveyor, but until 1991 it was producedin parallel with the old model tractors.

Design differences

New tractors received a completely new cab equipped with a sleeper. To improve visibility, the windshield has increased in size and become solid. The cabin itself became more streamlined and equipped with more modern lighting equipment. The headlights were housed in the bumper, which became smaller.

A sun visor was installed on the roof of the cab above the windshield and a standard fairing, which reduced fuel consumption. These elements are clearly visible in the photo below.

The first versions of the MAZ-6422 were equipped with a 320-horsepower YaMZ-238F diesel engine and an 8-speed 238A manual gearbox. Subsequently, more powerful and modern power units and gearboxes began to be installed on tractors.

More powerful options

In early 2000, the plant began to equip its products with a more powerful YaMZ-7511 engine. A car with such an engine received the designation MAZ-642208. On such machines, a 9-speed gearbox of the early YaMZ-202 model was installed. In the future, power units began to be used that comply with international standards for exhaust toxicity. One of them was the MAZ-642208-020 variant, equipped with an eight-cylinder 400-horsepower diesel engine with a YaMZ-7511.10 turbocharger. The motor had a volume of 14.86 liters and fully complied with Euro-2 standards. The tractor used a mechanical 9-speed gearbox model 543205. The semi-trailer MAZ models 938662 or 93866 could be supplied with the tractor. The photo below showsa tractor coupled with such a trailer.

The design of the machine allowed a total weight of up to 52 tons, but the standard weight of the road train is a more modest 44 tons. Thanks to the powerful diesel engine, a fully loaded car can accelerate to 100 km/h with an average fuel consumption of about 37 liters.

The tractor MAZ-642208-230 is equipped with the same engine and differs only in the type of gearbox. This version uses the 9-speed YaMZ-239. In other respects, the machine is completely identical to the 020 model. Optionally, the machines could be equipped with an anti-lock brake system. Models 230 and 020 are currently discontinued.