In the mid-fifties, the Special Design Bureau of the Moscow Automobile Plant im. Stalin took up the topic of ultra-high cross-country vehicles. Within the framework of the first such project, called ZIS-E134, new samples of special equipment were developed that had certain specific features. In addition, experimental samples were created to test some technical solutions. One of these machines appeared in the documents as the ZIS-E134 "Model No. 3".
In accordance with the terms of reference of the Ministry of Defense, a promising all-terrain vehicle being developed within the framework of the ZIS-E134 project was supposed to have a four-axle wheeled chassis. Prototypes No. 1 and No. 2 had just such a layout of the wheeled chassis. At the same time, it was found that the desired results can be obtained using a different chassis. The version of a three-axle car with a rigid suspension and a transmission providing four-wheel drive looked promising.
Model trolley ZIS-E134 "Model No. 3". Photo Denisovets.ru
The rejection of the fourth axle made it possible to somewhat simplify the chassis and transmission, as well as reduce the load on certain units. In addition, it became possible to improve overall cross-country ability. Spacing the axles along the base by an equal distance gave the advantage of even distribution of the load on the ground and the power on the wheels. However, to obtain high maneuverability, the car still required two controlled axles at once. Other problems could appear that could complicate production and operation.
At the beginning of 1956 SKB ZIS under the leadership of V. A. Gracheva began to develop a new experimental machine, with the help of which it was planned to study in practice the potential of several new ideas. This mock-up was created as part of a larger project ZIS-E134 and - to distinguish it from other experimental equipment - received its own number №3. According to reports, in the documents of the military department, this machine appeared under the designation ZIS-134E3. In the middle of the year, the Plant im. Stalin was renamed to the Plant named after. Likhachev, as a result of which the "army" designation ZIL-134E3 appeared.
It is curious that all the experienced all-terrain vehicles of the ZIS-E134 family were called mock-ups, but a different term was also used in relation to machine number 3. A small-sized lightweight single-seater all-terrain vehicle was also called a mock trolley. It should be remembered that the "Model No. 3" was a full-fledged ultra-high cross-country vehicle, capable of independently moving along various routes. However, unlike other prototypes, it could not carry any payload.
As part of the ZIS-134E3 project, it was planned to test the viability of several new ideas affecting the design of the transmission and chassis. For this reason, it was possible to get by with a relatively small and light vehicle with only the necessary composition of onboard equipment. Moreover, unlike other prototypes, it had to have a cabin with only one workplace. If acceptable results were obtained with a mock bogie, it was possible to design and build a full-size all-terrain vehicle based on proven solutions.
The ZIS-E134 "Model No. 3" trolley received a lightweight compact load-bearing body of the simplest design that could accommodate only the most necessary devices. Its front part accommodated some units, behind which there was a volume to accommodate the driver. The rear half of the body was the engine compartment, which contained the engine and part of the transmission devices. The units responsible for transmitting torque to the six driving wheels were located near the lower part of the sides, including under the driver.
"Model No. 3" at the test site. In the cockpit, presumably, the chief designer of SKB ZIS V. A. Grachev. Photo Denisovets.ru
The body had the simplest design based on a metal frame. On the latter, with the help of rivets and sides, a small rectangular vertical frontal sheet with a pair of openings for headlights was fixed. Above him was a slanted sheet. Used large vertical sides of a complex shape. The front trapezoidal part of the side was connected to the inclined frontal sheet, behind which there was a section of lower height. A cutout on the top of the side facilitated access to the cockpit. The stern part of the sides, a small rectangular roof with an inclined section and a vertical stern sheet formed the engine compartment. There was a metal partition between the cockpit and the power compartment. On top of the roof was the cooling system air intake bucket.
In the rear of the hull, a six-cylinder in-line gasoline engine GAZ-51 with a capacity of 78 hp was installed, connected to a manual transmission. The engine radiator received air through the upper intake device of the housing. The transmission of the all-terrain vehicle was based on ready-made components taken from various existing types of equipment. So, the transfer case was taken from a GAZ-63 truck. The main gear and part of the axle assemblies were borrowed from the ZIS-485 amphibious all-terrain vehicle. Instead of three bridges with their own mechanisms, only one was used. The drive of the wheels of the other two axles was carried out using a set of cardan shafts extending from the axle and several final drives.
The prototype # 3 received a chassis of a special design. She partially repeated the systems of previous machines, but at the same time differed in some innovations. For example, the rigid wheel suspension was again used without the use of any shock absorption. Instead of one-piece bridges, completely borrowed from the existing amphibian, separate units were used, located on the sides of the hull and on the internal supports. It is noteworthy that the pairs of wheels of such a car, by tradition, were still called bridges. In order to obtain acceptable maneuverability, the wheels of two of the three axles were made steerable.
The ZIS-E134 "Model No. 3" project provided for the use of several types of wheels with tires of different sizes. To study different configurations of the undercarriage, the car could be equipped with tires in the size 14.00-18 or 16.00-20, capable of operating at a pressure reduced to 0.05 kg / cm2. Some experiments involved dismantling the wheels with a change in the wheel formula. This made it possible to study new options for the undercarriage of the all-terrain vehicle without building a new machine.
Prototype # 3 received an open single-seat cockpit. The driver had to get into it, climbing over the side. The cockpit had all the necessary control devices and controls. The steered wheels were controlled by an automobile-type steering wheel, the transmission was controlled by a set of levers. The driver was protected from the headwind and mud scattering off-road by a low windshield, fixed on an inclined sheet of the body.
All-terrain vehicle in swampy terrain. Photo Strangernn.livejournal.com
The prototype bogie of the ZIS-134E3 project was distinguished by its relatively small dimensions and low weight. The length of such a machine did not exceed 3.5 m with a width of about 2 m and a height of less than 1.8 m. The ground clearance was 290 mm. When using 14.00-18 tires, the curb weight of the all-terrain vehicle was 2850 kg. After installing wheels with larger tires, this parameter increased by 300 kg. According to calculations, on the highway, the car had to accelerate to 65 km / h. The power reserve did not exceed tens or hundreds of kilometers, however, for a purely experimental machine, this characteristic did not have much significance.
Construction of the only experimental all-terrain vehicle ZIS-E134 "Model No. 3" was completed in July 1956. From the assembly shop, the prototype was transferred to the test site for the necessary tests. According to the available data, tests of the prototype No. 3 started at the Research and Test Autotractor Range in Bronnitsy (Moscow Region). This facility had a number of routes of various kinds, which made it possible to assess the capabilities of technology in various conditions. Checks were carried out both on land routes and on fords and wetlands.
According to reports, the tests of the prototype No. 3 started with the checks of the machine in the initial configuration of a three-axle all-terrain vehicle. Run-in was carried out both with tires 14.00-18, and with larger ones 16.00-20. The behavior of the chassis was studied when the pressure in the tires was changed. In the presence of certain problems, the layout showed itself well and in practice confirmed the viability of a three-axle undercarriage with equal intervals between the wheels. Also, the conclusions about the fundamental possibility of using a rigid suspension of large low-pressure wheels, made earlier on the basis of the test results of "Model No. 2", were confirmed.
It is known that the use of two pairs of steered wheels at once did not lead to the desired results. The vehicle's maneuverability was lower than expected. Also, for obvious reasons, the transmission of the machine turned out to be to a certain extent more complicated than the units of the previous prototypes, which made it difficult to operate and maintain.
After the tests of the "Model No. 3" in the initial configuration, experiments began. So, for a new check, wheels with 16.00-20 tires were installed on the front and rear "axles" of the all-terrain vehicle. At the same time, the central axle was left without wheels and without work, as a result of which the wheel formula of the prototype changed from 6x6 to 4x4. Removing a pair of wheels led to a reduction in curb weight to 2,730 kg while maintaining overall traction and other characteristics. In a modified configuration, the car again passed all the tracks, showing its new capabilities.
A prototype at the storage area. Photo by E. D. Kochnev "Secret cars of the Soviet Army"
The main result of long-term tests of the ZIS-E134 / ZIL-134E3 experimental all-terrain vehicle was the conclusion that it is fundamentally possible to use a number of new technical solutions in the field of undercarriage design. Mockup # 3 confirmed previous findings on the viability of the low-pressure rigid wheel concept, and also showed the prospects for a three-axle undercarriage with similar wheels. There is no exact information about the test results of a 4x4 vehicle, but there is reason to believe that in this form it showed not the best characteristics, which is why the topic of two-axle all-terrain vehicles did not receive further development.
Conclusions were also made regarding the capabilities and prospects of the transmission, built using a set of final drives instead of traditional units. This transmission paid off and was later developed. It effectively solved the main problems, distributing power to several driving wheels, and at the same time allowing to optimize the layout of the internal volumes of the body.
In the mid-fifties, the Plant. Stalin implemented the ZIS-E134 project, within the framework of which several prototypes of ultra-high cross-country vehicles were created and tested, both corresponding to the initial requirements of the military department ("Model No. 1" and "Model No. 2"), and intended for testing individual ideas and solutions ("Layout No. 0" and "Layout No. 3"). The project as a whole was of a purely experimental nature and, first of all, was intended to study the available possibilities with the subsequent formation of options for the appearance of the required equipment. New ideas were tested using original prototypes.
Due to the research nature of the project, none of the four prototypes had any chances to go beyond the polygons and reach mass production with subsequent operation in the troops or civilian organizations. Nonetheless, the four “numbered” off-road vehicles have generated a significant amount of data and experience in the field of SUVs. This knowledge was now planned to be used in new projects of special equipment suitable for practical use.
Work on the creation of new all-terrain vehicles using the accumulated experience started in 1957. The first example of this kind was the ZIL-134 multipurpose transporter-tractor. Later, a number of tested ideas were implemented in the ZIL-135 project. Several new experimental machines were also developed. The most successful project of this series was the ZIL-135. Later, it became the basis for a whole family of special automotive equipment, built in large series and found application in a number of areas. The developments on the ZIS-E134 gave real results.
