GAZ-51 is freight car soviet period, popular in the 50s of the last century. The carrying capacity of 2.5 tons made it possible to use the machine in almost all sectors of the USSR national economy. The model was quite reliable flatbed truck... Over 30 years of continuous production, 3,480 thousand vehicles of various modifications rolled off the assembly line.

History of creation

In 1937, at the Molotov Gorky Automobile Plant, a project was launched to create a new medium-class truck. The concept of the car was indicated quite clearly: for the needs of the national economy of the country, a universal, reliable and unpretentious carrier was required. The GAZ-51 became such a car, the technical characteristics of which were very good from the very beginning.

Tests

In the summer of 1938, the production of the main components and assemblies was launched, in January 39 the first prototypes were assembled, and a year and a half later the new car was tested. In the summer of 1940, the GAZ-51 car was exhibited at VDNKh in Moscow as the best achievement of Soviet engineering.

Pre-war period

In the spring of 1941, the technical documentation was transferred to the assembly shop of the plant for the launch of the machine in mass production. But the war began, and the release of the new car had to be suspended. The developments on the units were useful for other vehicles, including military ones. The GAZ-51 engine and gearbox, a propeller shaft with crosspieces on needle bearings, a clutch with a release bearing and other components were used in the production of military equipment.

Start of release

After the end of the war, the Gorky plant continued preparations for the serial production of the GAZ-51, and by the end of 1945, an installation batch of 20 cars was produced. New car immediately established itself as a reliable and inexpensive truck to operate. The GAZ-51 gearbox was improved, and the transmission of the car worked flawlessly. The release continued, and in 1946, 3,136 cars entered the country's roads.

Speed \u200b\u200bcharacteristics

The model turned out to be extremely simple. It was the first truly successful development in the USSR that did not require any improvements. The characteristics of the GAZ-51 seemed flawless. The car was fast, its cruising speed was about 75 km / h. The car held the road steadily, while being easy to operate. Sufficiently soft suspension in combination with effective hydraulic shock absorbers allowed a speed of over forty kilometers per hour in back roads, which was a tangible advantage over other vehicles.

Stalin Prize

The performance of the GAZ-51 was higher than that of the popular "three-ton" ZIS-5, while the Gorky car consumed 30% less fuel. Taking into account all the advantages, both high-speed and economic, the machine was considered the most suitable for the needs of agriculture. Since the end of 1946, almost all cars were sent straight from the assembly line to collective and state farms. And in 1947, a group of car creators, together with the chief designer of the Gorky plant, A.A. Lipgart, was awarded the Stalin Prize.

Expansion of production

The USSR State Planning Committee submitted monthly applications for the production of GAZ-51 in an amount that significantly exceeded the production capacity. Thus, the question arose about expanding the assembly areas. In 1948, the production of popular cars was mastered at the Odessa car assembly plant, and in 1950 the conveyor was launched in Irkutsk, where production lasted from 1950 to 1952, then the production of trucks was curtailed for a number of reasons. In Odessa, cars were produced for 27 years. The last car, rolled off the assembly line on April 2, 1975, was sent to the factory museum.

Engine

The power plant of the car fully corresponded to the tasks set for the truck. The optimal volume of the cylinders made it possible to develop sufficient power for movement in any mode. The GAZ-51 engine had the following characteristics:

• type - gasoline;
• number of ticks - 4;
• volume of cylinders - 3 485 cc / cm;
• power - 70 horsepower at 2750 rpm;
• torque - 200 Nm at 1500 rpm;
• arrangement of cylinders - in-line;
• number of cylinders - 6;
• number of valves - 12;
• cylinder diameter - 82 mm;
• compression ratio - 6.2;
• cooling system - circulating liquid, closed circuit;
• power system - carburetor.

Improvements

The motor is the successor power plant GAZ-11, which was once created on the basis of the Chrysler low-valve engine under the license of 1937. The piston group was constantly improved, the liners were installed from special wear-resistant cast iron, the compression piston rings were chrome-plated, new bimetallic (steel-babbit) liners were developed for the main and connecting rod journals of the crankshaft. As a result of the use of technical innovations, the engine resource has increased significantly.

Modernization

During the modernization, an aluminum block head and plug-in valve seats were used. The car gradually absorbed all the advanced technologies, its design was systematically improved. In 1954, the cab of the car became all-metal, at the same time a heater was installed. The new cab became an incentive to change the shape of the front end, the cladding acquired more modern look, fenders with headlights organically fit into the overall style. Special vertical shutters were installed behind the radiator grill, which prevented excessive cooling of the engine in winter.

Export

In 1949, a modification of the GAZ-51U was developed, which was intended to be sent abroad to countries with a temperate climate. The car was exported for six years, from 1949 to 1955, in small series. Then the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant developed the GAZ-51Yu model, adapted for operation in a tropical climate. This modification was produced for almost twenty years, from 1956 to 1975. Trucks were sent to Africa and Asia, where they were used on construction sites or used as usual vehicle for the transport of goods and livestock.

A model of increased carrying capacity, GAZ-51V, was also supplied for export. The car body held 3.5 tons. Production lasted from 1957 to 1975. The car was equipped with a 78 horsepower engine, the rear axle of the GAZ-51 was borrowed from the all-wheel drive GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle. The tires were oversized - 8.25x20.

Another export modification is GAZ-51DU. It was a car for regions with temperate climates, produced on the basis of a tipper chassis.

GAZ-51DU was exported to countries with a tropical climate on a dump basis GAZ-93AT.

Truck tractors were also exported: GAZ-51PU was intended for countries with moderate climatic conditions, GAZ-51PYu - for hot regions.

Modifications

Over the thirty-year period of production of the popular truck, special models for various purposes were created on its basis. The list includes experimental and serial modifications of the GAZ-51:

• Two-axle four-wheel drive vehicle (wheel arrangement 4x4). The rear axle of the GAZ-51 was equipped with single wheels. The serial production of the model lasted from 1948 to 1946. The car was delivered to logging and forestry as an auxiliary transport high cross-country ability... The sides of the body were built up, the car was equipped with arcs for installing an awning.
• GAZ-93 is a dump truck for construction purposes with a carrying capacity of 2.25 tons, layout on a shortened GAZ-51 chassis. Produced in small batches by the Odessa assembly plant. The release lasted from 1948 to 1955.
• GAZ-51N is an army truck with a body from the GAZ-63 model, an additional 105 liter fuel tank and folding longitudinal seats along the sides. Serially produced from 1948 to 1975.
• GAZ-51B is a modification with a gas cylinder fuel system running on natural liquefied gas. It was produced in small batches from 1949 to 1960 based on the GAZ-51A.
• GAZ-51ZH is a model equipped with a base-cylinder device operating on liquefied petroleum gas. Produced in limited quantities from 1954 to 1959. The total number of gas-fueled vehicles that rolled off the assembly line is 12,212.
• GAZ-51A - an onboard base car, distinguished by an extended body with high sides. Used for agricultural harvesting. Serially produced from 1955 to 1975.
• GAZ-51F is a small-scale modification equipped with a pre-chamber-flare type engine with a capacity of 80 horsepower. The car was produced in 1955.
• GAZ-51S is a specialized modification with an additional 105 liter fuel tank. The car was intended for long journeys. Serially produced from 1956 to 1975.
• GAZ-51SE is a highly specialized model, equipped with a reserve fuel tank with a volume of 105 liters and shielded electrical equipment. The machine was designed to work in areas of electromagnetic waves.
• GAZ-51R is a cargo taxi with the ability to transport people. Folding seats were mounted along the sides, the tailgate was equipped with a door and a ladder. Serial production lasted from 1956 to 1975.
• GAZ-51T - the car was intended for the transportation of bulky goods. The modification was produced in small series from 1956 to 1975.
• GAZ-51P is a tractor with a fifth wheel for towing semi-trailers with a carrying capacity of up to 3 tons. Produced from 1956 to 1975.
• GAZ-51D - a specialized chassis with a frame shortened by 320 mm was intended for dump trucks of the GAZ-93A, GAZ-93B, SAZ-2500 brands. The cars were mass-produced from 1958 to 1975.
• GAZ-93A is a construction dump truck. It was produced on a shortened GAZ-51A chassis from 1958 to 1975 in Odessa and Saransk.
• Small-class bonnet buses: KavZ-651A, PAZ-651A, PAZ-651, GZA-651 with 19 seats. Produced on the GAZ-51 chassis. Production was established at the Kurgan Bus Plant (KavZ) in 1958-1973, the Gorky Bus Plant (GZA) in 1949 and at the Pavlovsk Bus Plant (PAZ) in 1950-1958.
• PAZ-651 passenger buses on GAZ-51 chassis were produced at factories in Kiev, Tartu, Kaunas, Tosno and Borisov. In 1955, one hundred excursion buses of the "convertible" type with an open top were manufactured in Sochi.
• GZA-653 is a sanitary vehicle. Produced by the Gorky Bus Plant in the period from 1958 to 1975.
• Special-purpose vehicles were produced on the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 chassis: tank trucks, furniture vans, insulated vehicles, grain trucks, fire trucks, utility vehicles, aerial platforms and many others.

Tuning

Some cars of the past, which were discontinued many years ago, sometimes get a second life. Enthusiasts and collectors are involved in restoring cars from the 50s and 60s. They find preserved rarities in landfills or in abandoned garages, transport them to their workshops, and already there begins a long and painstaking process of reviving the car.

Along with the restoration, the exterior is often updated. This creative process is called tuning. As a result of alterations, the car can radically change its appearance.

GAZ-51, the tuning of which became possible thanks to the use of the latest technologies and the latest technical means, is one of the cars of the middle of the last century that has good potential for transformation.

At the first stage, it is necessary to make a list of all the changes that the tuning masters intend to make to the exterior of the car. Accuracy of drawings is important. GAZ-51, the tuning of which can be complicated by the dimensions of the car, should be carefully measured and two sets of technical documentation made - original dimensions and parameters of changes. Then you can get to work. For a full-fledged tuning, you will need equipment in the range of a repair shop: gas welding, a grinder, a drilling machine, a set of locksmith tools, painting equipment.

GAZ-51, the technical characteristics of which are considered ideal for tuning conditions, can be a good object for creativity. A tuned car can become a participant in an exhibition of rare automotive equipment, as well as a fair and sale of antique vehicles. If the rarity is in good technical condition, it will be able to take part in a motor rally or even a competition.

GAZ-51 is a Soviet-made car that was produced in the period from 1946 to 1975. The legendary "lorry" was replaced by transport, the carrying capacity of which was not enough in the post-war years. The 51st model transported loads weighing up to 2,500 kg.

The first prototype of the GAZ-51 car was prepared before the start of the Second World War. Further development stopped due to the crisis in the Union. It was resumed only in 1946, at the same time mass production was launched. In 1955, the classic version gave way to the 51A, on the basis of which a fire truck was developed in the future and passenger bus... For 29 years, just under 3.5 million copies of all varieties rolled off the assembly line.

The history of the creation of GAZ-51

The development of a new product at the Gorky Automobile Plant began in early 1937. At the direction of the country's leadership, a machine was required with a simple design, consisting of innovative and most reliable technical units.

The compilation of the necessary documentation lasted a little less than a year and a half. In June 1938, engineers began assembling the first units. Of these, in January 1939, they started designing a prototype. First finished car showed to the heads of the enterprise in the spring of the same year. The distinctive features of the new development are the new cab and cladding. Before the start of the war, the dump truck managed to appear at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition as a promising project.

Polygon tests were carried out for 10 months. The car was tested in various conditions, after which they came to the conclusion about its suitability. Since the beginning of 1941, it was planned to launch a large-scale production, but the beginning of the Second World War forced to postpone the new product on the back burner. Many technical units that were part of the GAZ-51 device were used in other developments during the years of hostilities.

By 1943, the Union had recovered from a crushing enemy attack, as a result of which work on the 51st model was resumed. For two years, progress has made a big step forward, so it was necessary to make serious changes to the design of the machine. Only the name remained from the old one. Engineers replaced everything: the engine, the carburetor, the hover device, the GAZ-51 power take-off and much more.

During the first two years of the war, the designers have accumulated a lot of experience, which allowed them to modernize the structure of the power plant, increasing power. The classic brake system was replaced by hydraulic mechanisms. The shape of the cabin was changed, making it more comfortable and spacious. The tires are now oversized. The weight of the dump truck was reduced, while the maximum carrying capacity was increased to 2.5 tons.

In 1944, two prototypes left the walls of the plant and were sent to field tests. After them, all identified defects were eliminated. The final production cars were assembled the following year. Their high quality satisfied the top officials of the state, so they began to immediately prepare for mass production.

The design of the GAZ-51

GAZ-51 technical characteristics:

• Length - 5.7 m;
• Width - 2.3 m;
• Height - 2.1 m;
• Ground clearance - 24.5 cm;
• Wheelbase - 3.3 m;
• Weight - 2.7 t;
• Engine displacement - 3.485 liters;
• Power - 70 hp at 2.8 thousand rpm;
• The highest torque - 205 Nm at 1.5 thousand revolutions;
• The highest speed is 70 km / h;
• Gas tank - 90 l;
• Tires - 7.50-20.

For many years, the Gorky Automobile Plant had a license to assemble the American Dodge engine. By the beginning of the creation of the GAZ-51 truck, it was already very outdated (created in 1928) and required serious revision, which was what Russian specialists did. Piston rings are coated with a thin chrome layer to increase strength. The cylinder liners were made of cast iron, created according to the unique formulas of Russian scientists. Also, the design of the motor was supplemented with an oil cooler and a pre-heater.

Babbitt "fill" of the crankshaft was replaced by steel-babbit liners. Despite the large volume of the power plant, the compression ratio remained at a low level - no more than 6.2. Thanks to this, drivers could refuse the recommended fuel and use low-quality fuel, up to kerosene. Traction characteristics were appreciated by the military, as they were enough to overcome off-road conditions. A starter or a handle was used to start.

Developing 70 horsepower with a volume of 3.485 liters, the engine had a serious drawback. There was no overdrive, which excluded the possibility of working under serious loads. The oil supply system has been rated for low to medium. If the driver violated the operating conditions developed by the company, the engine could be damaged. When traveling at a speed of more than 70 km / h, babbitt began to melt from the crankshaft liners.

Chassis

The chassis is based on two channel-type spars, which make up a wheelbase with a length of 3.3 m. The special arrangement of the engine and the forward shift of the cab became successful solutions. This left more "usable" space. The total length is 5.7 m. Moreover, modern mechanics, who managed to find a copy of the GAZ-51, make the car longer through tuning and installation of unique body kits.

The rear axle of the GAZ-51 had an innovative design for its time. He received 16 GAZ-51 semi-axles and 8 satellites. They were connected by washers made of steel of unusual composition. It was characterized as cyanidated, phosphated, low carbon. The drivers were required to monitor their condition. Failure led to serious damage, so a timely replacement was always required.

The entire design of the GAZ-51 onboard had a drawback: in each part there were several parts that had an increased load. This includes brake components (they were not designed for the weight of the car), a dedicated compartment for the oil pump, a carburetor and much more. Such parts were easily replaced with new ones even in the field. If the driver carefully monitored the transport, his service life could reach 40-50 years.

The frame is rigid. Its rear part was equipped with a cruciform cross member to increase strength. The frame structure was well connected to both side members. It included unloading braces. Towing devices were fixed on the frame under the wings.

Suspension and transmission

The dependent suspension was made in accordance with technical requirements 50s of the last century. Military and utility models received four longitudinal semi-elliptical springs. The rear axle was supplemented with two springs. A similar device was received by the product of the latest generation of the Gorky Automobile Plant - GAZon Next.

To increase comfort when moving, the front axle of the dump truck was equipped with double-acting hydraulic lever shock absorbers. To ensure good off-road stability (this was necessary with such a weight), the walker was supplemented with a heavy kingpin and a steering knuckle. The bus and other modifications worked on two propeller shafts.

The dry clutch did not have high strength, but it was easily repaired with improvised means. The GAZ-51 gearbox had four gears - three forward and one reverse. To increase the stock of a working resource and save materials, the GAZ-51 gearbox was deprived of synchronizers. The shift lever was in the floor. Power steering was absent in military and civilian vehicles.

Varieties of GAZ-51

On the basis of the standard version, engineers released a lot of modifications, including military vehicles, buses, fire trucks:

• 63 is an all-wheel drive truck consisting of two axles. Carried goods weighing up to 2 thousand kilograms. Single-tire tires with acceptable power provided high cross-country ability;
• 93 - cars were developed for the construction industry, carrying capacity - 2,250 kg (in fact, they transported more loads). The chassis was shortened by 32 cm;
• 51H is an improved vehicle for the military, which received a cockpit from the 63rd model. The carburetor was redesigned, benches were installed along the sides for transporting soldiers and the volume of the gas tank was increased to 105 liters;
• 51U - a standard car for delivery to countries with moderate weather conditions;
• 51НУ - export version of the army variety for regions with a temperate climate;
• 51B - differed in fuel consumption - they used compressed natural or coke oven gas (there was no carburetor). For 11 years of assembly, several limited editions were released;
• 51ZH - instead of the usual gasoline, the truck consumed liquefied petroleum gas;
• 51ZHU - export version of the model with the index "F";
• 51A - improved standard car. The main difference was in the body - it became larger in size;
• 51F is a dump truck with power increased to 80 horsepower. The ignition system was converted to a pre-chamber-flare;
• 51АУ - an upgraded version supplied to countries with a temperate climate;
• 51Yu - a car for tropical countries;
• 51C - the version received an additional 105-liter gas tank;
• 51SE - similar to the previous version with shielded electrical equipment;
• 51P is a bus with folding seats. The designers built a semblance of a door and a convenient staircase into the tailgate;
• 51RU - a bus exported to countries with moderate climatic conditions;
• 51T - cargo taxi;
• 51P - truck tractor;
• 51PU - version "P" supplied to countries with a temperate climate;
• 51PYU - modification “P” exported to tropical countries;
• 51B is a vehicle produced for delivery to allied countries with an increased payload up to 3,500 kg. The new power unit (78 hp) worked with an upgraded carburetor. The rear axle was installed with the GAZ-63;
• 51D - chassis with a shortened frame, which was used to install various superstructures;
• 51DU - "D" for delivery to countries with a temperate climate;
• 51DU - "D" exported to tropical areas;
• 41 - a prototype of a semi-tracked vehicle.

Each variety has a rich history.

History of mass production and export of GAZ-51

Mass production

The first series rolled off the assembly line in 1945. Consisted of 20 copies. They were sent to undergo field tests. In 1946, even before their completion, the enterprise supplied more than 3 thousand GAZ-51 to various industries. The transport easily passed all the tasks, the specialists characterized it as reliable, simple in design and maintainability.

The car has received wide demand both in the army and in agriculture. The main advantage over all competitors is the reduced fuel consumption (28-36% less). In 1947, the design team of the Gorky Automobile Plant was awarded the Stalin Prize.

Due to the high interest, GAZ could not cope with the production plan. In 1950, some of the orders were “transferred” to the Irkutsk enterprise. The assembly took two years, since the shops were not equipped with the necessary equipment in sufficient quantity. In 1948, the Odessa car assembly plant was connected. He was engaged in the release of the 51st model and numerous modifications until 1975 (until the complete rejection of obsolete technology).

The largest release was achieved in 1958 - over 173,000 copies. High quality and great interest are confirmed by the production time - 29 years. The last car collected in April 1975. She was placed in the museum of the Gorky enterprise. In total, engineers managed to assemble a little less than 3.5 million trucks, including all modifications. 11.4 thousand units of transport came out of the shops of the Irkutsk plant. In the early 50s, the leadership of the Union sold a production license to Poland. The technique was produced under the name Lublin-51 until 1959. For 8 years, designers have produced 17.4 thousand copies.

Export

The first model supplied to other states was the 51U. She was positioned as one of the most best cars in its class. Until the late 1960s, many cars were sent to African and Asian countries (there is no official information on the exact number). A variety with a carrying capacity increased to 3 thousand kg was in high demand in the agricultural sector of Hungary, the German Democratic Republic and Finland. Some countries have bought permission to release trucks on their territories.

What conclusion can be drawn?

GAZ-51 is a legend of the domestic engineering industry, which made an invaluable contribution to the restoration of the USSR in the post-war years. The car turned out to be so high quality that it can be purchased today on the secondary market. Transport in good condition costs 100-250 thousand rubles. Copies that require repair will cost 20-100 thousand rubles.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

The release of the legendary GAZ-51 truck took place in the fifties and seventies of the last century, this car became a legend of its time. For all the time, about three and a half million trucks left the production line. Recently, this model has practically not been found on the roads, but its popularity is quite large.

The history of the creation of the legendary truck begins in pre-war times. No less famous by that time was morally outdated and did not meet the requirements.
GAZ-51 is a Soviet truck with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons. The most popular truck model produced between 1950 and 1970.

The first samples of this car were developed even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, and the mass production of this car began in 1946, immediately after its end. 10 years later, in 1955, a new modernized model of this car was developed - GAZ-51A, which from that moment was produced until 1975.

The design of the basic version of this car, which at first was called GAZ-11-51, began long before the war, in the winter of 1937. The concept of the new car was formulated very precisely - it was required to develop a very simple and reliable truck, which would be assembled from the best, by the standards of those times, perfectly processed and carefully time-tested parts.

In June 1938, the production of units was launched, and in the winter of 1939 - their assembly. In May of the same year new model the car began to undergo road tests. They ended in the summer of 1940. At the same time, the first prototype of the car was presented at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow, as one of the best examples of the Soviet automotive industry.

I was not satisfied with the carrying capacity of the machine, the reliability of components and assemblies. also did not reach the required level. It was necessary to create a new truck - simple and reliable at the same time.

The development of the project began in 1937, at the same time it was decided to create a new six-cylinder engine. It was planned to increase the carrying capacity of the new truck to two tons.

Since the summer of 1938, work began on the manufacture of units for the new machine, and in the days of May 1939, the first experimental model was tested at the test site.

The car was first given a name associated with the brand of the new 6-cylinder engine GAZ 11, the model had the GAZ 11 51 index.

It looks like a modification of the car GAZ 11 51

The tests were carried out quite successfully, the prototype of the future truck was shown by the GAZ developers at the Moscow agricultural exhibition, held in the last pre-war year. Everything went to launch the GAZ-51 into mass production, but the war intervened in the plans.

Tests in road conditions were successful, which made it possible for the plant in 1941 to undertake serious preparation of the serial production of GAZ-51, but this was prevented by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Some details from this car (motor, clutch, gearbox, cardan joints) were already successfully produced by the plant by that time. At that moment, they found their application in other, more popular machines at that time.

Work on the serial production of the car resumed only in 1943. The dynamic development of automotive technology during the war years made its own changes in the design of this vehicle. Leading designer of the plant, A.D. Prosvirnin completely rearranged and thoroughly modified the car. After such his actions, in fact, only the name itself remained from the previously developed model of the car, which was planned to be produced in the pre-war period. Due to the fact that in wartime, the designers accumulated quite serious experience in operating six-cylinder engines on combat vehicles, they were subsequently able to thoroughly modify and, as much as possible, at that time, improve the engine, as well as all the service systems.

The project was supplemented with a very well-proven hydraulic brake drive. In addition, the designers have also developed a more modern and comfortable cab for the new truck and redesigned its lining. The dimensions of the tires also increased, and its carrying capacity increased a couple of times - to the most optimal at that time, 2.5 tons. They also managed to achieve up to 80 percent unification with another car model, its all-wheel drive version called GAZ-63. The latter was designed in parallel with the GAZ-51, right on the adjacent assembly boards. The engine unification also stopped at 80% with a four-cylinder engine designed for the future "Victory".

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Engine for the car GAZ 51

The promising project had to be stopped, but they returned to it in 1943.

An example of a GAZ 63 truck

At that time, the nodes developed for the new "lawn" (propeller shaft, gearbox, clutch parts) were successfully used in military equipment and on other brands of cars. Wartime made its necessary amendments, which benefited the project being developed. GAZ-51 was significantly modernized, and little remained of the prototype.

In May and September 1944, 2 more new samples of this car were built, which had a different design of the front end. Later, in June 1945, two more new modifications were released, now they were finally finalized and became pre-production samples. The confidence that the new design was of high quality allowed the plant to immediately begin preparations for its serial production.

So, in June 1945, the new GAZ-51, as well as other novelties from the Soviet car manufacturer, were presented in the Kremlin. All cars presented received full approval from members of the government.

Serial production of the car began very quickly, the experience gained in wartime affected. By the end of 1945, the first installation batch was produced, which included about two dozen cars. The next year, 1946, even before the official completion of the tests, the whole country received 3136 trucks of the latest generation.

drawing with the dimensions of the car GAZ 51

In principle, we can say that the car turned out to be very successful and extremely simple. Perhaps, for the first time in the USSR, the problem of creating a car with a truly solid construction, in which all units and assemblies were equal in strength, was successfully solved.

The new version has the following changes:

• The engine and attachments have been significantly improved;
• Carrying capacity increased to two and a half tons;
• The hydraulic brake system is applied, it has become much more effective than mechanical brakes;
• The new cabin acquired a modern shape for those years, the cladding was modified;
• The radius of the wheels has increased.

Since the all-wheel drive version of the GAZ-63 truck was being developed in parallel, the designers tried to unify the parts of both new models, and they managed to do this - 80% of the spare parts for GAZ-52 and GAZ-63 were interchangeable.

Truck for transportation of furniture based on GAZ-52

In 1944, the search for optimal design solutions continued, and the creators of the "fifty-first" offered two samples with different hood options, in 1945 - two more modified versions with a modified cabin. Wartime taught me to work quickly and efficiently, so the work on preparing a new model progressed quickly. Already in June 1945 new project was approved by the Soviet leadership and earned high marks.

By the end of 1945, the first twenty trucks had left the production line of the Gorky Automobile Plant, and in 1946 the country received more than three thousand cars, even without looking at the fact that the final tests had not yet been completed.

On the basis of the "fifty-first" truck, a lot of all kinds of modifications were created.

Tuning option for the GAZ 51 truck

The truck became so popular that it was assembled under license in the People's Republic of Poland, China and North Korea. The fifty-first "Gazon" was made for export, sending cars to African and Asian countries. In the Hungarian People's Republic, East Germany and Finland, legendary trucks have also taken root.

In addition to the Gorky Automobile Plant, in the USSR, the production of the "fifty-first" was debugged in Odessa and Irkutsk, however, the car was not assembled at the Irkutsk Automobile Plant for a long time - in 1950, its production was opened, and already in 1952, the Irkutsk plant workers decided to redesign it to produce radio receivers.

The model ceased its existence as a serial truck on the GAZ factory line "fifty-first" on 04/02/1975, the brand existed for almost 30 years.

Dump truck based on the GAZ 51 car

It is difficult to find a more successful model in the Russian automotive industry, and the Gorky Automobile Plant can be justly proud of this.

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Where to buy GAZ-51

Technical characteristics of the first models Gas 51

• Car type - Dump truck;
• Wheel formula - 4 × 2;
• Full mass auto, kg - 2710;
• Full mass of the road train, kg - 7500;
• Carrying capacity, kg - 2500;
• Platform area, m2 - no data;
• Platform volume, m3 - no data;
• Curb weight, kg - 2710;
• Maximum speed (km / h) - 70;
• The GAZ-51 engine is carbureted, 2800 rpm;
• Engine power (hp) - 70;
• Transmission - Mechanical;
• Number of gears - 4;
• The gear ratio of the driving axles - no data;
• Suspension - leaf springs;
• Tire size - 7.50-20;
• Fuel tank - 90;
• Cab - Double, bonneted layout.

Overall dimensions of the GAZ 51 truck

GAZ-51 modifications

On the basis of the basic model of the GAZ-51, many different modifications were created. Vans, buses, various special equipment... Trucks had their own equipment for the operation of machines in hot climatic conditions. "Lawns" were also supplied for the Soviet army, exported to countries with a temperate climate. There was also fire fighting equipment, mail vans and aerial platforms were produced. Cars were produced that could run on natural or oil gas.

Here are some of the main modifications created on the basis of the GAZ-51:

Specifications

During all the modernizations carried out, the curb weight of the GAZ 51 gradually decreased, and ultimately became a little more carrying capacity. The cabin was also improved - in the first post-war years it was mostly wooden. But the production of metal in the country was gradually improving, and closer to 1950, the GAZ 51 cladding became combined, even later the cab was produced only all-metal.

Cabs of pre-war prototypes of the GAZ 51 cab appearance more like cars those years. But before the launch of the truck in the series, the design of the cab was changed - it began to resemble a Studebaker, but only in a reduced form. Since 1956, the interior of the car was made heated; before that, the GAZ 51 was not equipped with a stove.

It looks like a stove for a car gas 41

GAZ 51 had the following technical characteristics:

• Cabin - stamped metal with rounded shapes;
• Number of seats in the cockpit - 2;
• The mass of a fully equipped vehicle is 2710 kg;
• Carrying capacity - 2.5 tons;
• Wheel drive - rear (4x2);
• The maximum permitted speed is 70 km / h;
• The maximum permissible crankshaft speed is 2800 rpm;
• Gearbox - mechanical 4-speed, unsynchronized;
• Main gear - bevel type;
• Engine capacity - 3.485 liters;
• The number of cylinders in the engine - 6;
• The location of the valves in the internal combustion engine - lower, in the cylinder block;
• Compression ratio (with an aluminum cylinder head) - 6.2;
• Ground clearance - 24.5 cm;
• Fuel consumption of 20 liters per 100 km (perhaps underestimated data).

Technical characteristics of the GAZ 51 truck

Mini-tractors designed by the readers of "M-K" are usually intended for general agricultural work. They have a track that is rigidly determined by the size of the bridge, which can only be changed by rearranging the elements of the wheel, when the different arrangement of disks and rims allows the machine to be adapted to one or another row spacing. An interesting technical solution to a long-standing design problem, which allows minimizing the risk of damaging plants when processing row spacing with a mini-tractor, was proposed by V. Chirkov from the settlement of Lotoshina (Moscow region). In his new agricultural machine MT-7 (about the previous ones, highly appreciated by specialists at the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements, see "M-K" 2/83), the track width can be easily changed. As they say, by order! After all, the front axle of this mini-tractor is sliding, and the required track width along the rear axle (taken from the GAZ-51 car with its subsequent shortening according to the original method) is achieved by replacing conventional wheel (right) to a special one, with a welded hub.

Mini-"kirovets" - from serial units

I do not consider myself a beginner in the creation of homemade means of small-scale mechanization. If only for the reason that many of my developments have long been "replicated" by other amateurs of making everything with their own hands, and the best ones, such as the MT-5 mini tractor, have won awards even at the main exhibition of the country. But I do not feel special traction for motoblocks. Moreover - to "industrial". They often reveal a lot of flaws. Parts break, belt drives "burn". And how to restore! In addition to everything, in my opinion, walk-behind tractors are too light for cultivating the soil for potatoes: they skid. Mowing is also child's play. As, however, and when providing transport work (complete with a trailer trolley).

I am convinced that the farm needs a more versatile and powerful mechanical assistant - a mini-tractor. He is not indifferent to the creation of such machines: the seventh is already in the account. The new development (MT-7) has somewhat larger dimensions from the one published in "MK" - it is as much as 650 mm longer. It would be possible to squeeze the whole structure (see illustrations) into the previous dimensions, if I had at my disposal a good combined gearbox instead of two connected in series. But, alas, homemade people often do not have ample opportunities in acquiring the necessary units and blocks. They take it differently - with a natural eye.

In particular, I managed to arrange everything in such a way that the maneuverability of the new, more powerful than the previous designs, mini-tractor remained practically the same as that of the MT-5. Mainly due to the removal of the engine forward, like the well-known "Kirovtsa". Although the ultra-high maneuverability of this machine when plowing is not so necessary. Indeed, with a working width of 500 mm or more, at the end of each run, you can not turn around, but ... feed back. Moreover, the speed of the new mini-tractor when plowing the land is 2 times higher than that of the MT-5.

The MT-7 was assembled mainly from serial components and assemblies of old equipment. All of them, of course, had to be sorted out, worn out parts were renewed. Moreover, he tried not to radically alter the used serial units and assemblies. Firstly, because if any of them fail, the replacement will not present any particular difficulties. Secondly, I was convinced that alterations, which some amateur designers willingly go to, sometimes threaten to reduce the strength and reliability of what is being altered.

Take, for example, the input shaft of a gearbox from a GAZ-51 car. Using KP-51 in the construction of a homemade mini-tractor, it is difficult to resist the temptation to shorten it. But after all, cutting off the shaft, they remove the most valuable thing - the splines. And now, to fix the sprocket, gear, etc. on the shaft, you have to drill a hole in it for a bolt or grind a groove for a key. Superfluous, in my opinion, work! In addition, the bolt is not a slot: under heavy load, it can simply shear. And be a self-made man more prudent, do not shorten, take care of the shaft - no problems will arise. After all, it is easy to put on the splines a clutch disc with removed linings, to which you can attach elementary any part: a flange, an asterisk, etc. In addition, there is enough space on the shaft to install additional devices power take-off for other units: water pump, mowing machine, circular saw ...

1 - power unit (engine from a GAZ-69 car with a primary gearbox and clutch), 2 - a steered (front) wheel (2 pcs., From a Volga car), 3 - an additional gearbox (from a GAZ-51 car with power take-off and NSh oil pump), 4 - rear axle (from the GAZ-51 car, shortened), 5 - the driving (rear) wheel (2 pcs., from the MTZ-52 tractor, on wheel disks from the GAZ-51 car), 6 - open flanged couplings.

The power unit also has no alterations or modifications, which is used as an almost trouble-free engine from a 55 hp GAZ-69 car. with., together with its gearbox (having three speeds forward and one reverse) and clutch. Torque from KP-69, which in this case is the primary gearbox, is transmitted to KP-51 directly, without "soft" connections, thanks to flanges fastened tightly with bolts. In a similar way, the KP-51 is also connected to the cardan flange mounted on the main gear drive gear. Distortions are naturally unacceptable here. The exact center of the longitudinal line of installation of the power transmission units connected in series from the engine to the rear axle wheels can be observed if the preliminary assembly itself is carried out, as they say, on the weight, placing everything on supports so that the units are in the same horizontal plane. Having achieved the absence of beats, the bolts on the flanges (couplings) are rigidly fixed. Then the structure is transferred to the minitractor frame, which is an isosceles trapezoid (2400 mm high, with bases of 680 mm and 550 mm), made of a 120x50 mm channel by welding, with a wide butt outward. Power and running units are fixed "in place", making the final adjustment of the kinematics (so that there are no distortions anywhere). Then the whole structure is tested. Let the engine run idle for a while by lifting the rear wheels off the ground on the trestle. After making sure that everything is in order, they put the rest of the components and parts in their places.

Actually, I am not a supporter of blind copying of someone's, even the most successful, development. I am convinced that it is more rational to only focus on the scheme chosen as a prototype, using in its design those details and capabilities that a given DIYer has. Therefore, talking about the MT-7, I deliberately omit the description and specific dimensions of brackets, spacers and other "little things", the features of fastening certain parts, assemblies. Each one, to the best of his strength and abilities, will decide for himself the questions that arise during the manufacture of a mini-tractor, including about replacing, say, a second, additional gearbox from a GAZ-51 car with a power take-off and NSh oil pump (which, for example, you have was not at hand) to similar ones taken from other equipment. Composing them into a single whole, we just need to remember: KP-51 has straight, small gear teeth; the other teeth, and the step of their cutting, are different. This means that the corresponding power take-offs are also needed.

The hydraulic pump is connected by petrol and oil-resistant armored standard hoses with an oil distributor (of any type) and a hydraulic reservoir, a power cylinder for lifting attachments, a bulldozer shovel, and a trailer tipping mechanism.

The instrument panel is combined. The panel was taken from the KrAZ vehicle, the indicator devices were taken from other vehicles with 12-volt voltage.

On the right front fender of the MT-7, a rectangular hole is cut out - in order to see the position of the wheel while controlling its progress during hilling.

Convertible front axle

The "highlight" in the design of the MT-7 is the transforming front axle. The use of this technical solution allows you to easily and quickly change the track width of a mini-tractor, which becomes a truly reliable mechanical assistant not only when plowing a field, a vegetable garden, performing other (usual for machines of this kind) operations; you can perfectly process the aisles, plant and huddle potatoes, other root crops, taking into account the recommendations of science and practice.

The idea I proposed is based on structural elements telescopically sliding into each other. In this case, the dimensions of the structure itself change significantly. For example, when hilling potatoes, the front wheels of the MT-7 move away from each other, and the track width becomes not 1080 mm, as usual, but 1400 mm. For beds that are cut every 700 mm, this is the best option.

And such a profitable innovation is achieved quite simply. Instead of a single transverse beam, two channels are taken: 120x50 mm and 100x50 mm, fastened to each other with three M12 bolts. The length of the channels is 680 mm and 730 mm, respectively. When the track widens, the bolts are unscrewed. The upper channel, easily sliding along the lower one, extends to the required distance (in this case 320 mm). Then both channels are bolted again.

Naturally, when extending the front axle, it is necessary to increase the length of the transverse link. The latter is made up of two pieces of steel corners nested into each other and fastened together with three M8 bolts. When changing tracks, the bolts are unscrewed. Having spread the transverse rod to the required length, the corners are again bolted together.

Features of the implementation of the remaining units and elements of the front axle are clear from the illustrations. I will only note that at the bottom, in the middle of a 120x50 mm channel cross-beam, a sleeve is welded, which is a piece of seamless steel pipe 30x5 mm (GOST 8734-75) 120 mm long. An axle in the form of an M20 bolt is inserted into the sleeve, passing through the holes in two transverse brackets (made of 50x50 mm angle), screwed to the mini-tractor frame symmetrically relative to the composite cross beam. The latter balances on an axle-bolt, turning when driving on uneven soil at an angle limited on both sides by stops from a 45x45 mm corner. Brackets for a more rigid fixation are additionally reinforced with two braces connected to the mini-tractor frame.

The steering column is from the UAZ-452 car. My mechanical assistant has it on the right side. Therefore, the fastening of the steering gear with a steering gear to the MT-7 itself is not particularly difficult. As for the lever, it is removed from the slots and then, turning, it is put back on, but in a vertical position.

Transverse tie Rod! For all the unusualness of its sliding, concisely stated above design, it is not so difficult to make this important link. Especially for someone who is familiar with gas electric welding. After all, you just need to weld the tips with ball fingers to an elementary system of two corners of 30 × 30 mm sliding over each other, fastened with three M8 bolts.

Helps out a special wheel

So, when hilling, say, potatoes, the front left wheel moves out along with a channel 100x50 mm and a corner of 30x30 mm sideways by 320 mm. The track on the front axle becomes 1400 mm. The track on the rear axle also increases by an appropriate amount. But not due to the transformation of the latter, but by installing in place the left rear wheel of another: a special one with a special design (see drawing).

It is easy to see that this removable wheel, used only when working with an extended track, differs from the usual wheel with a welded hub. Located between the "main" and "annular" parts of the disc cut by autogenous, the latter, as it were, increases the length of the rear beam. And instead of the standard for the MT-7 track on the rear axle - 1000 mm - it turns out (taking into account the "automobile" way of fixing this wheel) 1400 mm.

Unlike the front wheels with 6.5-16 tires (from the Volga car), the MT-7 rear wheels have tires from the MTZ-52 tractor, the size of which (6.5-20) makes it easy to mount them on wheel disks from the GAZ-51 car. The removable wheel is no exception here either.

Herringbone tread pattern. To increase the adhesion weight of a mini-tractor, it is possible to recommend screwing on removable loads or filling the chamber through a valve by about 2/4 of its volume with water (with the onset of low temperatures - 25% aqueous solution calcium chloride, freezing at minus 32 ° C). With an increase in soil moisture, when the mutual connection of its particles is violated, an increase in the traction force by the above method is not ensured. In these cases, it is advisable to reduce the tire pressure.

Rear axle: long - shorten!

The rear axle from the GAZ-51 car is attractive to many amateur mini-equipment designers. Its reliability, availability, finally. But here's the length ...

First of all, it is, of course, necessary to clean the ZM by removing old oil and adhering dirt. Then the rear axle is disassembled into separate parts. Unscrew the corresponding nuts, remove the axle shafts (see Fig.), And by halving the crankcase, remove the differential.

On the ZM stockings, the heads of the rivets are cut off with a sharp chisel and, with the help of a punch, they are “sunk” inward, so that then with a sledgehammer, carefully knock the stockings out of the body. If necessary, sometimes it is necessary to warm up the seats with a blowtorch. And in order not to suffer later during assembly, achieving exact alignment of mutually mating parts with each other, - take care of the timely application of special marks on the stockings and the differential case (with a chisel, until the component parts are separated).

The stockings are machined along the diameter of the seating surface to the spring cushion, after which the left cutter is shortened by 180 mm, and the right one - by 235 mm from the side of the differential. The trimmed stockings are inserted back into their sockets. And in order to secure them thoroughly, through the old holes in the differential, where previously there were rivets knocked out inside, new ones are drilled into the stockings. Previous (or specially made with a diameter of 0.1 mm larger) rivets are driven into these holes and welded flush with electric welding. After assembling the entire axle, it is installed on the mini-tractor. This ZM is attached to the frame with M12 bolts passing through the holes, prudently made in the right places. Dimension A (see fig.) Is chosen so that the minimum track width on the rear axle is 1000 mm.

As for the semiaxes, they are drilled from the flange side strictly in the center to a depth equal to the thickness of this flange itself. The drill diameter is slightly less than the semiaxis diameter. Next, the semiaxis is machined along the diameter of the drill to the appropriate length (see Fig., Size B). For the right axle shaft it will be 235 mm, and for the left axle it will be 180 mm. Each is inserted into its own flange and welded thoroughly on both sides (use electric welding, not autogenous!). To prevent the metal from being "released", the semi-shaft with the flange is periodically cooled with water. Then the axle shafts are shortened, removing everything unnecessary with a cutter on a lathe.

1 - hood, 2 - radiator, 3 - fan, 4 - chassis frame, 5 - engine, 6 - air filter, 7 - front axle, 8 - GAZ-69 gearbox, 9 - instrument panel, 10 - toolbox, 11 - steering wheel with a column, 12 - gear lever, 13 - handbrake lever, 14 - overdrive lever, 15 - clutch pedal, 16 - accelerator pedal, 17 - gearbox from GAZ-51, 18 - seat from UAZ-452 car, 19 - hydraulic valve switch lever, 20 - hydraulic valve, 21 - hydraulic power cylinder, 22 - rear axle from GAZ-51, 23 - subframe, 24 - hydraulic tank, 25 - gas tank, 26 - tail, 27 - tarpaulin awning removable.

1 - wheel (from the car "Volga", 2 pcs.), 2 - left steering unit (relative to the direction of travel), 3 - M12 bolt with nut (3 pcs.), 4 - lower transverse beam (channel 120x50 mm), 5 - welded bushing (120-mm pipe section 30x5 mm), 6 - axle (M20 bolt), 7 - M20 nut with washer, 8 - subframe-bracket (corner 50x50 mm), 9 - upper transverse beam (channel 100x50 mm) , 10 - hub assembly (2 pcs.), 11 - right steering assembly (relative to the direction of travel), 12 - transverse thrust (two telescopically sliding corners 30x30 mm), 13 - welded frame (channel 100x50 mm), 14 - stop (angle piece 45x45 mm, length 120 mm, 2 pcs.), 15 - M8 bolt with nut (3 pcs.).

1 - the main part of the wheel disk (from the GAZ-51 car), 2 - the welded hub, 3 - the annular part of the wheel disk (from the GAZ-51 car), 4 - the wheel (front from the MTZ-52 tractor).

1 - left wheel disk, 2 - left spring, 3 - left half-shaft, 4 - left stocking, 5 - rivets, 6 - left crankcase half, 7 - cardan flange, 8 - nut, 9 - right crankcase half, 10 - right stocking , 11 - right axle shaft, 12 - right spring, 13 - right wheel disk, 14 - axle shaft flange.

55 horsepower from a mini-tractor, created by the longtime author of "MK" V. Chirkov from the Moscow Region Lotoshino. Among the successful technical solutions found by the amateur designer, there is a compact arrangement of units and parts on the frame (see photo), a wheel, turning which by 180 ° achieves an operational change in the track width along the rear axle, telescopically sliding structural elements of the transforming front axle ... And what is important for any farm is a set of mounted implements that allows you to successfully plow and cultivate even the most difficult soils.

The author of the design continues to talk about the features of his mechanical assistant.

In the field and in the garden

So that the mini-tractor does not stand idle, you need to take care of a set of various mounted and trailed agricultural implements. And above all for high-quality plowing, mechanized planting (say, the same potatoes, other valuable crops), inter-row cultivation and harvesting of the grown crop.

1-4 - hillers with their serial numbers, 5 - cultivator with a lancet paw (for loosening the ground trampled by the left wheels of the mini-tractor), 6 - adjustable rubberized wheel, 7 - hillers frame (corner 50x50 mm), 8 - attachment point to the stretcher mini-tractor, 9 - rear wheels of a mini-tractor, 10 - soil profile when cutting ridges (hillers 1-3 and cultivator 5 are pubescent, hiller 4 is raised), 11 - soil profile when planting potato tubers (first run; hillers 1-2 and the cultivator 5 are lowered, the hiller 4 is raised by 1/2 the height of the first, the hiller 3 is raised or removed), 12 is the soil profile during the next entry of the mini-tractor on planting potatoes (the position of the hillers and the cultivator is similar to the previous paragraph), 13 - potato tubers ( oriented sprouts up).

For plowing, I recommend acquiring one- and one-and-a-half-horse plows, which you can make on your own - fortunately, suitable drawings were published in M-K. These tillage implements are installed in the nests of a special frame: welded, from a channel 80x40 mm (see illustrations), which has a special adjustment mechanism, a rubberized wheel and an actuator for the hydraulic drive of the suspension. And since the MT-7 has the right wheels when plowing along the furrow, the plows are preset with such a deviation from the vertical to the right so that during operation they take a perpendicular position (compensation is provided by the tilt of the mini-tractor body itself). Accordingly, the toe of each plow must be turned 1-2 degrees, but already to the left. Then the resistance of the earth, "choosing" all the gaps, will turn the machine (again to the right), and both tools will be in the longitudinal plane of the mini-tractor.

1 - rubberized adjustable wheel (from decommissioned agricultural machinery), 2 - horse plow, 3 - one and a half or two-horse plow, 4 - adjusting mechanism, 5 - welded plow frame (channel 80x40 mm), 6 - hydraulic suspension actuator, 7 - hydraulic cylinder, 8 - welded mini-tractor frame, 9 - subframe (from decommissioned agricultural machinery).

The ridges are cut by three hillers (see the corresponding illustration). When planting tubers, the hillers are rearranged, respectively, into other nests, and with one run of the mini-tractor, the tubers planted in the finished furrow are covered with hillers on both sides. At the same time, the third hiller, installed to the left of the second by 350 mm and slightly behind it, cuts a new furrow for planting the tubers of the next bed. That is, in one pass, the MT-7 performs both the filling of the previous one and the preparation of a new furrow.

When hilling potatoes, the front axle, as mentioned earlier, moves apart from one, left side, to a track of 1400 mm. The rear left wheel is replaced by another - a special one with a welded extended hub (see the variant in the photo). And there is no damage to the processed potatoes.

Technical characteristics of the mini-tractor

Overall dimensions, mm: 2650x1100x1400

Base, mm: 1470

Track (variable), mm

on the front axle: 1080-1400

on the rear axle: 1000-1400

Weight (without trailer and mounted implements), kg: 500

Engine: GAZ-69

Engine power, hp from. : 55

Maximum transport speed, km / h: 40

Working speed minimum, km / h: 1

Capture width for plowing, mm: 500

V. CHIRKOV, Lotoshino settlement, Moscow region

GAZ-51 - the most massive Soviet-made truck in the period from the late 40s to the mid 70s of the twentieth century. A universal vehicle with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons became widespread in all spheres of the national economy of the USSR and the socialist countries during that period and subsequent years.

In total, over the years of serial production (1946-1975), 3,481,033 GAZ-51 vehicles were produced. Tens of thousands more of these trucks were produced by car factories built with the help of the Soviet Union in Poland, China and North Korea. Further - the details of the device and operation of the GAZ-51.

If it were not for the war, the GAZ-51 would have been put into mass production already in 1941. Preparations for that had been going on since 1937, and everything needed for this was already ready. The design, development, testing of a new universal national economic truck, the approval of this model and its preparation for launch into the "series" have been completed. GAZ-51 from an experimental batch in the summer of 1940 was exhibited at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow.

This truck, which replaced the pre-war lorries and GAZ-MM, was practically incomparable with its predecessors in terms of its technical performance.

The design of the GAZ-51 in the last years of the war was subjected to a total revision and modernization. A group of designers, led by Alexander Prosvirnin, tried to take into account the best practices gained during the operation of trucks in wartime. Including trucks supplied from the United States under a lend-lease agreement.

Based on this experience, not only the engine and its service systems have been improved. The design included a new at that time hydraulic brake drive; changes affected both the cockpit and the cladding.

It was decided to increase the size of the wheels, bring the carrying capacity to the optimal 2.5 tons. Serious work was carried out to ensure significant (up to 80%) unification with all-wheel drive, the future basic army version of the truck -.

An experimental ("installation") batch of 20 GAZ-51 trucks was produced in 1945, and the year 1946 already gave the national economy a war-ravaged and reviving country with 3136 serial trucks of this brand. The very first years of operation showed that the GAZ-51 largely surpassed its predecessors (even a three-ton one) in all respects.

It was fast (at that time, of course, the speed was 75 km / h), reliable, economical, durable and hardy, as well as comfortable and easy to control. Compared to its predecessors, the GAZ-51 had a softer suspension with new efficient shock absorbers. It was significantly ahead of everyone in performance, demonstrating lower fuel consumption.

GAZ-51 in the workshop of the Gorky Automobile Plant.

In the fall of 1947, a GAZ-51 control rally was carried out along a 5500-kilometer route: from Gorky to Moscow, from there through Belarus and Ukraine to Moldova, and back to Gorky. The truck showed itself flawlessly.

The production of GAZ-51 was constantly increasing, reaching its maximum in 1958, when more than 173,000 trucks of this brand were produced during the year. Additionally, their production was established at the Odessa and Irkutsk car assembly plants. In addition, the Soviet Union helped to establish the production of copies of the GAZ-51 in Poland (the truck was produced under the name "Lublin-51", in North Korea ("Sengri-58") and the People's Republic of China ("Yuejin-130").
The last truck of the GAZ-51 brand left the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant on April 2, 1975 and went to the museum of the enterprise.

Technical characteristics of GAZ-51

Our days. "Alive and healthy" GAZ-51 on the roads of the capital.

GAZ-51 on virgin soil.

Some of the technical innovations used in the design of the car were later used by Soviet and foreign car manufacturers and on cars of other brands. Among them:

• wear-resistant, made of special cast iron, engine cylinder liners;
• chrome-plated piston rings;
• radiator vertical blinds;
• preheater working by means of a blowtorch (An unaware person might think that we are talking about heating the oil pan and oil, as drivers sometimes do today. In reality, the coolant was heated in the heater boiler, and, according to the thermosyphon principle, circulated in the cooling jacket, heating cylinders and combustion chambers);
• oil cooler (their use significantly strengthened the durability of the engine),
• bimetallic thin-walled crankshaft liners (steel-babbitt, instead of babbit-filled bearings without liners, and subsequently - steel-aluminum).

The engine received lubrication of the crankshaft and camshaft bearings under pressure and replaceable liners, high-quality oil filtration, adjustment of clearances in the valve drive, a carburetor with a "falling" flow of the combustible mixture, a closed-type cooling system with forced circulation. Now the driver could control the oil pressure and water temperature in the engine from his seat using instruments - before, there were no such instruments at all.

The work of the driver was also significantly facilitated: with the advent of devices for automatic adjustment of the ignition timing and generator recoil, there was no longer the need to constantly adjust them “on the fly,” a lever on the steering wheel, and a switch under the hood. The gearbox was changed and a completely new cardan gear with needle-bearing crosspieces was used.

The rear axle received a fundamentally new design of the differential and axle shafts, which simplifies the repair of the entire unit. Easily removable and semi-axle-independent rear wheel hubs with double roller bearings appeared. The lever-cable mechanical brake drive was replaced by a hydraulic system with a differentiated distribution of braking forces between the front and rear wheels.

The single front transverse spring with reactive rods gave way to two longitudinal packages, and the rear cantilever suspension with its own reactive rods was replaced by a simpler, more reliable, and designed for higher loads, the suspension with “springs” that is usual today.

For the first time used on the GAZ-51, the following have become generally accepted in the practice of the world truck industry: an aluminum block head, plug-in valve seats, adjustable heating of the mixture, double oil filtration, closed crankcase ventilation. Double oil purification worked for drainage, and oil was supplied to the rubbing parts after a single rough cleaning. The easily removable brake drums used on the GAZ-51 have also become a new word in the automotive industry. For those years, these were extremely advanced and progressive solutions.

• Length - 5.715 m; Width - 2,280 m; Height - 2,130 m.
• The ground clearance is 245 mm.
• The wheelbase is 3.3 m.
• Back track - 1,650 m; The front track is 1.589 m.
• Curb weight - 2,710 tons; Gross weight - 5,150 tons.
• Tire size - 7.50: 20.

GAZ-51 engine

The engine of this truck is an improved modification gasoline engine GAZ-11, created at the Gorky Automobile Plant in the 30s on the basis of the American Dodge D-5 low-valve in-line engine purchased under license. Characteristics of a four-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor engine GAZ-51 in numbers:

• The working volume of the cylinders is 3 485 cm / cubic;
• Power - 70 horsepower at 2750 rpm;
• Torque - 200 Nm at 1500 rpm;
• Number of valves - 12;
• Cylinder diameter - 82 mm;
• Compression ratio - 6.2;
• Fuel consumption (low-octane gasoline A-56, A-66) - 20-25 liters per 100 km.

GAZ-51 engine.

The closed sealed engine cooling system was used for the first time on a serial truck of this plant, which minimized the loss of water from evaporation. And the latter, in turn, together with the more rare need to add water in the heat, gave a significant reduction in scale in the system.

For the first time, blinds and a thermostat were also used. During the entire production period of the car, the cooling system has received the only fundamental change. Until 1955, the fan and water pump were driven by double narrow belts, and after that the engine received only one, but wider and more durable drive belt for the units.

The lubrication system received two filters, and on the pre-war lorries there was no oil filtration at all, except for the mesh at the oil pump. A plate-slot all-metal coarse filter purified all the oil taken by the pump from the sump. It had a mechanism for manually turning the plates and cleaning them daily. After the first stage of cleaning, oil was supplied to lubricate all working parts. After preliminary cleaning in the first filter, a part of the oil also entered the fine filter of the ASFO type (automotive superfilter sump), with a filter element made of cardboard plates assembled into a single block. After this filter, the purified oil was not supplied for lubrication, but through the drain line it was drained back into the sump. But due to this, the oil turnover through both successive filters was quite intense, which ensured its normal cleaning for a relatively short (1,500 - 2,000 km), but the service life prescribed by the plant.

The GAZ-51, like a number of other cars of that time, had a "constant gas", forced fixed opening throttle carburetor with a special manual drive from the driver's seat. Firstly, when the engine was warming up, it was not necessary to abuse the "suction" with the help of the air damper, enriching the combustible mixture - the engine kept revs well even on manual "gas". And secondly, low intensity road traffic in those years, on long-haul flights, it also allowed driving on “autopilot” - turning on the fourth speed and setting the required engine speed, not “tied” to the accelerator pedal, but sit in any free position, only working with the steering wheel.

Originally, by today's standards, a gas pump with a glass sump was also arranged. Without disassembling it, you could always see its work, control the cleanliness of the filter, and check the absence of air leaks through the diaphragm and gaskets. No tools were required to remove the hood, clean the sludge and blow out the filter. True, there was a drawback: in the heat, a large glass sump provoked the accumulation of steam plugs inside and a refusal to supply gas. In this case, a rag was hung on him, poured with cold water, and the car could continue its journey.

Despite the relatively low power, the GAZ-51 engine has excellent traction. It was possible to start the car even with a failed starter, and with an inoperative battery, or without it at all - by using the handle of the manual "crooked starter".

It should be noted that the GAZ-51 engine did not have a significant margin of safety in the event of prolonged operation at high speeds and serious loads. The motor could fail due to the melting of babbitt from the bimetallic crankshaft main bearings.

During prolonged operation at high speeds, the oil supply was insufficient, and the absence of an overdrive and the main pair of the rear axle with a large gear ratio contributed to the "twisting" of the low-speed motor. Therefore, to maintain a high resource and durability of the engine, the carburetor had a speed limiter, and the maximum practical speed of the GAZ-51 did not exceed 75 km / h, regardless of road conditions.

On the first cars with a wood - metal cabin, a 105 liter gas tank was located under the body. After the introduction of all-metal cabins, a 90-liter fuel tank was placed under the driver's seat. The drivers received a good present in the form of a high filler neck with a wide socket. Now the car could be refueled on the way without bending, even from a bucket. Another pleasant surprise was the standard gauge for the remaining fuel in case of failure of the electric fuel gauge.

Transmission, suspension, chassis, cargo platform GAZ-51

The layout of the GAZ-51, with the engine and cab shifted forward (which, with a fairly short base, made it possible to have a rather long cargo platform at our disposal) was traditional for bonnet trucks as a whole.

The GAZ-51 transmission includes a single-disk dry-type clutch, a 4-speed gearbox without synchronizers and a single-stage main gear.

On the engines of the machines of the first releases, a semi-centrifugal clutch was used. The "basket" had additional weights at the outer ends of the release levers, which diverged to the sides with increasing engine speed, and contributed to an increase in the compression force of the pressure and driven discs. Later, more powerful peripheral pressure springs were used.

The simplest mechanical clutch drive consisted of a shaft with a crank, and a threaded rod with a special "shaped" adjusting nut. The shaft was rotated by a clutch pedal fixed on it, the release rod was pivotally connected to the crank, and its nut entered a special socket of the release bearing fork.

Rear axle GAZ-51.

The car used a four-speed three-way gearbox. At its core, it repeated the checkpoint of the pre-war lorry - the same gear ratios, 1 - 6, 4; 2 - 3.09; 3 - 1.69; 4 - 1.0; Z.Kh. - 7.82, the same lack of synchronizers. But these units were not interchangeable with each other due to the different shapes of the crankcases, and the different ends of the output shafts, designed for connection with cardan drives of completely different design.

Due to the lack of synchronizers, it was necessary to change gears with double clutch disengagement. During the acceleration of the car, when the pedal was pressed for the first time, the previous gear was turned off, and when pressed again, the next required speed was turned on. And with a decrease in speed, between the squeezes, a small "podgazka" was required to better align the revolutions of the intermediate and secondary shafts.

The suspension design of the GAZ-51 truck is dependent, but essentially modern even by today's standards: 4 longitudinal, semi-elliptical springs and two springs on the rear axle (which is comparable to the modern generation of the Gorky Automobile Plant -). A decision ahead of its time can be called the introduction of 2-sided hydraulic lever shock absorbers in the front suspension of the GAZ-51. A rigid front axle, with a heavy kingpin and a steering knuckle, had a positive effect on the stability and handling of the car.

The GAZ-51 gearbox had an interesting feature - forced blocking of reverse gear. It was impossible to accidentally turn on "reverse" at high speed of the car, confusing it with direct transmission. To engage the reverse gear, the driver had to squeeze a special flag next to the "knob" of the gear lever. The pull from the flag, repeating the shape and length of the lever itself, set aside a ratchet with an automatic locking spring.

A cardan drive with two shafts and an intermediate support had three crosspieces on needle bearings.

The rear axle of the car was assembled inside a beam with a split crankcase. It had a "direct" single main gear - the axle of the drive gear and the axle of the wheels were located in the same plane. The gearbox had a gear ratio of 6.67 units, and later found application in the driving axles of three-axle trucks and. The rear axle half-shafts were of a fully unloaded type, and were removed and installed regardless of the fastening of the rear wheel hubs.

The car frame with open channel-type spars and variable cross-section, has five riveted cross-beams that unite them and a removable cross-member of the rear engine support.

The rear suspension consisted of the main springs, which had 13 sheets each, and additional "springs", which had 7 sheets each. The main springs had one root sheet each, and were pivotally attached to the frame, on lubricated steel pins, and the additional packages had only a supporting sliding fit on the brackets. No shock absorbers were installed in the rear suspensions of trucks. They relied only on the chassis of the bonneted buses of the model "651", and the PAZ-653 ambulances.

The front springs had 11 sheets each - two root leaves, one root leaf each, and one "reverse" leaf, which was laid on top of the root leaf springs. The "back" sheet, unlike all other sheets in the package, was not curved in back side, but direct. And the root leaves were double, since their ears with different twist diameters entered one into the other. The front springs, as well as the rear units, were hinged on greased pins.

The shock absorbers in the front suspension were of the lever type until the mid-60s, and then they were replaced by telescopic assemblies.

The front axle of the vehicle consisted of a simple cross-beam and wheel steering knuckles. The steering knuckles in the horizontal plane rested on special thrust ball bearings, and vertically they were installed on pivots with sliding bearings, the role of which was played by bronze bushings. This design of the front, non-driving axle is still used on GAZ trucks, including the “3309” model.

The wheels of the GAZ-51 car with a tire size of 7.50 X 20 inches had three varieties for the entire production period. In the 40s, discs with two windows, such as ZIS-5, were used. In the 50s and the first half of the 60s, “six-window” wheels of the ZIS-151 type, with side and locking rings, were used. And from the second half of the 60s, six-window disks with a single side split ring, which also performed the functions of a lock, began to be installed unified with the GAZ-52.

It is necessary to dwell in more detail on the fastening of the wheels. It was typical, and in terms of fasteners - and unified with most soviet trucks... And now, for the sake of "Western democratic values", such a fastening of wheels has become history almost everywhere.

The fasteners for the front and rear wheels were not the same. There were nuts for the front wheels, as well as kits for the rear double slopes, which were attached independently of one another. The inner wheels of the rear axle were fastened with special inner cap nuts - fittings, with external and internal threads, and the outer cylinders, with special nuts that worked on the external threads of the fittings. The internal threads of both the front wheels and the front wheel nuts were the same, which made it possible not only to unify the front and rear hub studs, but also, if necessary, use the front hubs.

The independent fastening of the rear wheels excluded the possibility of their simultaneous loss on the move, which is increasingly becoming fashionable for Gazelles. After all, until the outer ramp starts to "play" on its loose nuts, the inner cylinder fittings pressed by it will not even budge! For futorok, and both types of nuts, there was a unified Soviet all-Union cargo "balloon" with opposed heads. The head with a hexagon at "38" was relied on for the front wheel nuts and the outer nuts of the rear ramps, and the opposite head with a square at "22" was for the butts.

To prevent self-loosening of fasteners when the wheels rotated, they had a different thread direction. For the left side of the car, parts with a left-hand thread were relied, and for the right side wheels - with a classic right-hand thread. Nuts and futorkis left and right threads differed in appearance. The "left" products of all three varieties first had characteristic grooves in the middle of the edges, and then the nuts on the ends appeared marked "O", and on the footwear, in the center of the turnkey squares - the letter "L"

The cargo platform of the car was assembled from wood. If necessary, the tailgate could be used as an extension of the floor - for this, chains served, which, when folded back, hold the side in a horizontal position. The internal dimensions of the GAZ-51 body (length x width x height) are as follows: 2.940 x 1.990 x 0.540 m.The height was increased as much as necessary with the help of extension boards. New body with three folding sides (+ side) on the GAZ-51 began to be installed in 1955.

For the first time on the GAZ-51, an original and quite convenient under-body spare wheel mount was used. It was made in the form of a folding bracket, which had "working" and "transport" fixation, and its ratchet and threaded fasteners. If a spare wheel was needed, the driver unscrewed the transport fixation nut of the folding bracket with a standard "balloon", which continued to be held by the working fixation lock. Next, the foot pressed the lever of the remote drive of this lock, and the bracket with the spare wheel was folded back to the road. After that, with the same balonnik, two nuts securing the wheel to the holder were unscrewed. As the reader guesses, all three retainer nuts are the same as those on the right front wheel. After installing the punched slope on the holder, the driver manually or with the help of a standard jack, squeezed the installed wheel to a horizontal position. The lock for automatic fixing of the holder in the working position worked. Then the transport lock nut was tightened, and - behind the steering wheel. This solution is still used on all large "lawns".

GAZ-51 truck cab

By modern standards, the cab looks more than Spartan. However, compared to a lorry cab, it is more than comfortable and ergonomic. On the dashboard, in contrast to the same lorry, there is already a full set of instruments that are common in modern cars.

There are even clocks in the salons of cars of later years of production, just like in cars. Windshield can be lifted forward / upward, letting in the flow of oncoming air into the cab in summer. Unusual exoticism - manual drive of windscreen wipers. But - as an additional and backup, of course. And the main mode of operation had a vacuum drive from the discharge in the intake manifold.

Since there was not enough metal in the post-war years, the cabin until 1950 was made of wood (wood blocks, plywood and tarpaulin); then - combined, wood-metal; and since 1954 - all-metal, heated.

The rational design of the front of the car, with the hood tapering forward, was, to some extent, revived in the trucks of the Gorky plant of the late 90s / early 2000s (GAZ-3307 and similar models).

Modifications of the GAZ-51 car (in chronological order)

• • GAZ-51 N - an army version, with a lattice body from the GAZ-63, equipped with benches along the sides, as well as with an additional 105-liter gas tank. Produced from 1948 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 U - export option for a temperate climate. Produced from 1949 to 1955.
  • GAZ-51 NU - export modification of the army version of the truck, for countries of temperate climates. Produced from 1949 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 B - LPG version, running on compressed gas. Produced from 1949 to 1960.
  • GAZ-41 - an experimental version on a half-track, was built in 1950.
  • GAZ-51 Zh - another gas-cylinder option, for operation on liquefied gas. Produced from 1954 to 1959.
  • GAZ-51 ZhU- export LPG version for temperate climates.
  • GAZ-51 A - modernization of the base model GAZ-51, which replaced it in 1955 and was produced until 1975. It differs from the GAZ-51 with an oversized cargo platform, folding side walls, and an improved braking system.
  • GAZ-51 F - a pilot batch, equipped with an 80 hp engine, with ignition of a pre-chamber-flare design with a capacity of 80 hp It was released in 1955.
  • GAZ-51 AU - export version for a temperate climate, serial production lasted from 1956 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 Yu - export version for tropical climates, produced from 1956 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 S - a variant equipped with an additional 105-liter fuel tank. Serial production was carried out from 1956 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 SE - a variant with an additional 105-liter gas tank and shielded electrical equipment.
  • GAZ-51 R - a cargo-passenger version, on the sides of the body of which folding benches were equipped, and a door and a ladder were provided in the rear side. Produced from 1956 to 1975.
  • GAZ-51 RU - export version of cargo-passenger modification, for a temperate climate, years of production - 1956-1975.
  • GAZ-51 T - cargo taxi, 1956-1975.

The GAZ-51P truck tractor.

• GAZ-51 P - a truck tractor. Produced from 1956 to 1975. For the first time in the USSR, a hydraulic vacuum brake booster was used on the GAZ-51P truck tractor.
• GAZ-51 PU - export version truck tractor, for a temperate climate, years of production - 1956-1975.
• GAZ-51 PU - export modification of the truck tractor, intended for tropical climates, was produced from 1956 to 1975.
• GAZ-51 V - export version, with a lifting capacity extended to 3.5 tons. It was equipped with a 78 hp engine
• GAZ-51V, tires of increased size up to 8.25-20 ″ and the rear axle of the all-wheel drive GAZ-63. Serial production was carried out in 1957-1975.
• GAZ-51D - a chassis with a shortened frame, designed specifically for the GAZ-93A, GAZ-93B and SAZ-2500 dump trucks, which were made by the Saransk and Odessa dump truck plants. Serial production from 1958 to 1975.
• GAZ-51 DU - export version of the tipper chassis, for a temperate climate.
• GAZ-51 DU - export version of the tipper chassis, for tropical climates.

In addition to trucks, a number of small-class bonnet buses were built on the GAZ-51 chassis. They were produced both in Gorky and Pavlovsk bus plant PAZ, and at the Kurgan bus plant KavZ. And also at car repair enterprises throughout the Soviet Union: in Borisov, Tartu, Tosno, Kiev, Kaunas, etc. About a hundred sightseeing buses with open "convertible" bodies were very colorful. GZA-653, PAZ-653, AS- "- ambulance van buses on the GAZ-51 chassis.

Sightseeing bus based on GAZ-51 in Gagra.

Countless large, medium and small enterprises in the vastness of the Union republics produced various specialized vehicles on the GAZ-51 chassis: furniture and isothermal vans; grain trucks and tank trucks, fire and communal special vehicles, aerial platforms, mobile repair shops, etc.