In the early fifties of the last century, the Soviet army, busy with its development and increasing its defense capability, faced a number of characteristic problems. Among other things, it was found that not all available vehicles meet the requirements. To provide the necessary logistics, the military needed ultra-high-traffic vehicles. One of the first developments of this kind was the ZIS-E134 "Model 1" machine.
In a hypothetical war, Soviet troops would have to move and transport goods not only by road, but also over rough terrain. The existing wheeled vehicles with insufficient maneuverability could not always cope with such tasks. Tracked transporters, in turn, coped with obstacles, but did not differ in ease of operation and high resource. In addition, the tracked chassis was inferior to the wheeled chassis when working on good roads.
Prototype ZIS-E134 "Model 1"
On June 25, 1954, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution on the formation of a number of new special design bureaus (SKB). Similar structures have appeared in the structure of several leading automobile factories. The task of the SKB was to create special equipment ordered by the military department. Simultaneously with the decree on the formation of new bureaus, an order appeared for the creation of several projects of special vehicles for the army.
The army wanted an eight-wheeled, ultra-high-performance vehicle capable of efficiently working both on the roads and on very rough terrain. The car had to overcome various obstacles, including engineering obstacles; bodies of water had to be forded. At the same time, the new vehicle had to carry up to 3 tons of cargo in the body and tow a trailer weighing up to 6 tons.
The terms of reference and the order for the design of a promising machine were received by the Moscow Plant named after V. I. Stalin (ZIS) and the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ). Having extensive experience in the field of off-road trucks, both enterprises were able to present ready-made experimental projects and experimental equipment of new types in a relatively short time. In the Special Design Bureau of the ZIS plant, design work was carried out under the leadership of the chief designer V. A. Gracheva.
Starboard view
The trial design of the SKB of the Moscow plant received the working designation ZIS-E134. For several years, three versions of the experimental technique were created with one or another peculiarity. According to the project in its original form, a prototype model "Model No. 1" was built. According to some reports, in the documentation of the Ministry of Defense, this machine appeared as the ZIS-134E1. It is curious that all work on this project was completed and completed before mid-1956. As a result, the car retained the letters "ZIS" in its designation and was not renamed in accordance with the new name of the manufacturer.
It should be noted that according to the test results of the ZIS-E134 "Model No. 1" machine, an improved version of the original project was developed. He retained the previous designation, but at the same time differed in a number of major changes and innovations. The prototype of the updated ZIS-E134 was designated as "Model No. 2" or ZIS-134E2. Soon a third prototype appeared. In fact, the three running models were completely different machines, but they had similar names. This can lead to some confusion.
All the basic requirements for a promising all-terrain vehicle related to running characteristics on highly rugged terrain, including those equipped with engineering barriers. Such a technical task forced V. A. Grachev and his colleagues use both well-known and fundamentally new technical solutions in the first project of the ZIS-E134. As a result, the new car had to have a non-standard technical appearance and original appearance, which, however, made it possible to solve all the tasks set.
Experimental machine diagram
The project proposed the construction of a four-axle special vehicle with a chassis frame structure. On top of the frame, the engine and the cockpit were to be placed, covered by a common body. The latter took up about half the length of the machine, making optimal use of the available space. The rear half of the frame served as the basis for the cargo area, on which one or another payload could be placed. The frame was based on the units of the ZIS-151 car. As part of the new project, the existing serial frame was strengthened and slightly shortened. The same car "shared" a closed cabin, which had to be slightly rebuilt.
Under the hood of the ZIS-E134 all-terrain vehicle was placed a modified ZIS-120VK gasoline engine, which differed from serial products in increased power. As part of the new project, it was boosted by reworking the cylinder head and gas distribution mechanism. As a result of this change, an engine with a volume of 5.66 liters was able to deliver power up to 130 hp. The forcing led to a certain reduction in the resource, but this was not considered a serious drawback.
The specific purpose of the machine and the special design of the chassis led to the need to develop an original transmission, which included a large number of different units. A three-stage automatic hydraulic transmission / torque converter, borrowed from the experimental ZIS-155A bus, was directly connected to the engine. Its presence was associated with the need for a multiple increase in torque at the start of movement: on soft soils, a fourfold increase in this parameter was required. While driving, the torque converter made it easier to control the machine by automatically changing gears. Also, this device had a reverse function, which made it easier to "swing" a stuck car. By breaking the rigid connection between the power plant and other transmission elements, the hydraulic transmission also protected the engine from stalling during overloads.
Scheme, top view
A five-speed gearbox borrowed from the ZIS-150 truck was placed at the level of the rear wall of the cab. In connection with its location, it was necessary to use a relatively long and curved control lever. The gearbox was connected to a two-stage transfer case, which had crawler gears. It distributed torque to a pair of power take-offs linked to limited slip differentials on the four axles. The transfer case and power take-offs were taken from the BTR-152V armored personnel carrier. All mechanical devices from the transmission were connected to each other using cardan shafts.
Ultra-high cross-country ability was to be provided, first of all, by a chassis of a special design. In the ZIS-E134E project, in accordance with the customer's requirements, a four-axle wheeled chassis should have been used. To evenly distribute the weight of the machine on the ground, it was decided to install axles at equal intervals of 1.5 m. In this case, two wheels of each side were under the engine and the cab, and the other two were under the cargo area. Continuous axles from the BTR-152V were used with a suspension on leaf springs, reinforced with double-acting shock absorbers. The two front axles had power steering controls.
It was proposed to equip the all-terrain vehicle with specially created I-113 tires. These products of an eight-layer construction had a size of 14.00-18 with a total diameter of 1.2 m. The undercarriage received a centralized tire pressure regulation system. The air pressure varied from 3.5 kg / cm 2 to 0.5 kg / cm 2. When the pressure changed from maximum to minimum, the area of contact with the ground increased fivefold. All wheels were equipped with shoe-type brakes, controlled by a centralized pneumatic system.
"Layout 1" overcomes the obstacle
Despite the relatively large diameter of the wheels, the vehicle's ground clearance was only 370 mm. To avoid possible problems when driving over difficult terrain, the bridges were covered with a special bottom pallet suspended under the frame. When moving on snowy terrain, it was proposed to use a special wedge-shaped blade mounted under the bumper. With its help, a significant part of the snow was diverted to the sides of the wheels.
The cockpit was located behind the engine compartment on the ZIS-E134 car. The cab body and a significant part of its internal equipment were borrowed from the serial ZIS-151 truck. At the same time, a set of new equipment had to be installed in it. The specific gear lever, torque converter controls and other new devices forced the designers to remove the middle seat from the cab, making it a two-seater. Indicators of temperature and pressure of oil in the engine, power steering and hydraulic transmission were displayed on a new instrument panel.
The rear part of the frame of the experienced all-terrain vehicle was given for the installation of a cargo platform. As the latter, the onboard body of the ZIS-121V serial car was used. It had a rectangular platform, surrounded on all sides by low sides. Also, metal arcs were used to install the awning. In the future, after the launch of mass production, vehicles based on the ZIS-E134 could receive other target equipment, both transport and special purpose.
All-terrain vehicle on snowy terrain
An experienced ultra-high cross-country vehicle had a total length of 6, 584 m with a width of 2, 284 m and a height (on the roof of the cab) of 2, 581 mm. The curb weight of the vehicle was set at 7 tons. With a payload of 3 tons on the loading platform, the total weight, respectively, reached 10 tons. When driving only on the highway, the vehicle could tow a trailer weighing up to 6 tons. In the case of work on the ground, the maximum trailer weight was reduced by 1 t. According to calculations, on the highway, the all-terrain vehicle could reach speeds of up to 65 km / h. On the ground, the maximum speed was limited to 35 km / h. There was also some potential in the context of overcoming various obstacles.
The development of a new project and construction of "Model No. 1" lasted a little over a year. The assembly of the prototype was completed in mid-August 1955. At the same time, the new car entered field tests only a couple of months later - in mid-October of the same year. The tests of the all-terrain vehicle were carried out at several test sites of the automotive industry and the Ministry of Defense. They lasted for several months, which made it possible to test the equipment in different areas, on different grounds and in different weather conditions.
During the tests, the first prototype was able to show a top speed of 58 km / h. The vehicle successfully moved on dirt roads, rough terrain and soils with low bearing capacity. The all-terrain vehicle has proven the ability to climb slopes with a steepness of 35 ° and move with a roll of up to 25 °. It could cross a trench up to 1.5 m wide and climb a 1 m high wall. Water obstacles up to 1 m deep were crossed ford. The presence of two steered axles has improved maneuverability. The turning radius (along the track of the outer wheel) was 10.5 m.
Blade for working on snow
During the tests, special attention was paid to the operation of the suspension and wheels with variable tire pressure. All undercarriage systems showed the desired performance and capabilities, but not without unexpected results. As it turned out, soft tires with a relatively low pressure make it possible to do without elastic suspension elements. Such tires perfectly absorbed all shocks and compensated for uneven ground, literally leaving the springs without work.
The prototype "Model No. 1", built within the framework of the ZIS-E134 project, was primarily considered as a technology demonstrator capable of showing the pros and cons of new solutions. According to the test results, this machine could be modified in order to improve certain characteristics and eliminate the identified shortcomings. In its current form, it was not considered as a possible model for serial production and mass exploitation.
Tests of the first prototype continued until the spring of 1956 and led to the desired results. An experienced all-terrain vehicle in practice showed the correctness of the ideas used, and also made it possible to identify the weak points of the proposed concepts. Without waiting for the completion of the tests of "Model No. 1", the designers of SKB ZIS began to develop an updated project of an ultra-high cross-country vehicle. It is curious that this project retained the existing designation - ZIS-E134.
Prototype ZIS-E134 "Layout 2"
Almost immediately after the completion of the field tests of "Model No. 1", the new ZIS-E134 "Model No. 2" came out for testing. In connection with the preliminary results of the previous project, some notable changes were made to the design of this machine. Later, these ideas were developed and even brought to a series in several subsequent projects. It is the second experimental vehicle ZIS-E134 that is considered the direct "ancestor" of a number of well-known ZIL amphibious all-terrain vehicles.
As part of the experimental project ZIS-E134, only one prototype vehicle of the first version was built. After the completion of independent and joint tests, he was returned to the manufacturer, and his further fate is unknown. According to some reports, later the prototype was disassembled as unnecessary. The development of special automotive technology was now supposed to be helped by other prototypes.
The first result of the ZIS-E134 pilot project was the prototype model No. 1, built on the basis of existing components and assemblies. Its tests made it possible to clarify the optimal appearance of a promising all-terrain vehicle and start building a new prototype. Over the course of several years, as part of the experimental program, three prototype all-terrain vehicles with the same name were built. "Model No. 2" and "Model No. 3", like their predecessors, made a noticeable contribution to the study of the subject of ultra-high cross-country vehicles and are also worthy of separate consideration.
