GAZ-63 - Soviet truck with wheel formula 4x4, whose history began in 1938. For all the time of serial production, more than 450 thousand copies were produced. The main feature in the late 30s of the twentieth century was the capacity of the machine, which was 2 thousand kilograms.
History of creation
The design of the car began in 1938. The first prototype engineers collected a year later, and then immediately sent to numerous tests. There was no time to create a unique design. The specialists were faced with the task of creating a car capable of passing through impassable roads to any corner of the country. The cab was taken from other cars GAZ, the chassis was developed from scratch. In the line of the enterprise, it became the first vehicle with all-wheel drive and single-sided busbar wheels.
Together with the 63rd model, there was a development of a civilian truck, which received the index "51". It was the military variant that formed the basis, the technical units were unified by 80%. This reduced the cost, dropped the load on production lines, as civilian and military trucks collected on the same conveyor.
Some technical nodes were unique, they became an innovative breakthrough of their time. Motor placed over the front axle. Due to this, they reduced the size of the car and increased the load capacity. The basis of the brake system put a hydraulic drive.
Both versions successfully passed all tests. The plant's management recommended that management start mass production soon. This was prevented by the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. The project began in 1943, which was a turning point in the war.
The problem was the scientific progress that occurred in 4 years. By this time, Soviet manufacturers became acquainted with American transport, which was going to Gorky Automobile Plant. Engineers took some technical components from American products, and some improved them from existing models.
Design features
Cab design solutions taken from foreign counterparts. The hood became shorter, the wings got an L-shaped formula, the headlights were protected from damage by the grille. At first glance it was difficult to distinguish where the Soviet development, and where the American. The final version also received design changes. At the base lay the GAZ-51 cab - lighting devices were embedded in the wings, their shape became more rounded. Despite this, the general features in appearance remained.
The first assembled transport GAZ-63 received cabins made of wood. In those years, the Union experienced a shortage of sheet metal. In 1950, the cabin became wood-metal (the doors were made of wood). It became full metal in 1956, when the country's economy began to choose from the post-war crisis. The internal arrangement of the cabin corresponded to the military purpose: there is little free space, the driver’s seat is rigid, the heating system appeared 4 years after the start of mass production.
The body was designed to transport various goods and soldiers. Boats were installed high wooden boards. For landing used folding benches made of wood. The package included an awning that was installed on a frame consisting of four metal arcs. The maximum capacity on asphalt roads is 2 tons, while traveling off-road, it dropped to one and a half tons. Versatility added the ability to transport trailers, the mass of which does not exceed 2 tons.
Technical characteristics of GAZ-63
The carburetor powerplant was equipped with six cylinders. Liquid cooling system coped with its tasks. Engine GAZ-63 is a mixture of GAZ-11 and Dodge D5. Developed up to 70 horsepower, which in those days was an acceptable indicator. The maximum speed is 65 kilometers per hour, and the power reserve is 650 kilometers.
Maximum charge - 195 liters. Such volume contained in itself the main and additional tanks. For refueling used gasoline A-66. The average consumption per 100 kilometers is 25-30 liters. A few years after the start of production, independent designers assembled a diesel unit for the machine.
The GAZ-63 gearbox had 4 speeds, the GAZ-63 razdatka had two speeds and a demultiplicator. The clutch is made on the dry type, has one disc. At the base of the front axle are ball joints of equal angular velocity. Both bridges were suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs.
Characteristics of the GAZ-63 allowed the use of the chassis for the creation of special-purpose vehicles. The manufacturer installed military and civilian equipment for various purposes. The mobile workshop and the fire truck became the pearls. The bulk of the released copies went on government orders for military needs. Thermal and sound insulation made at a high level, communications equipment worked without interruption.
General specifications:
- Total length - 5,525 meters;
- Total width - 2.2 meters;
- The total height of the cabin - 2.25 meters;
- Ground clearance - 27 centimeters;
- Weight - 3.2 tons;
- The weight of the loaded machine - 5.35 tons;
- The maximum speed is 65 km / h.
The release ended in 1968. It produced more than 450 thousand copies, which went to the needs of not only Russia, but also the countries of the Soviet Union. Export to Asia, Africa and the Middle East was also established. Some GAZ-63 operated in our days. Sometimes you can find offers in the secondary market. Cars are offered in different qualities. There are in good. These are the specimens that have been mothballed for many years. The average price ranges from 20 to 150 thousand rubles.
Scope of application
An experimental batch for passing final tests was established in 1945, after which it received approval from I.V. Stalin and the entire party leadership. Mass production was established in 1948, two years after the civilian model. The car received high marks and good reviews from thousands of consumers across the country.
GAZ-63 is able to overcome various obstacles. Off-road, moats, water obstacles with a depth of no more than 80 centimeters, loose snow and many others. Received widespread use for the delivery of goods, equipment and people in remote and inaccessible regions of the Union.
Military vehicles received demand among the civilian population. The application was not as wide as in the army. Most often, small batches were purchased to serve agriculture. Transport overloaded, so he quickly fell into disrepair and demanded frequent repairs. Four-wheel drive was considered an indisputable advantage for the countryside, but many were not satisfied with monotony. In the opinion of customers, the plant has developed modifications with dual-sided busbar wheels of the rear axle.
The car showed poor stability on the road. This affected the narrow potassium of the wheels and high ground clearance. Infrequently, structural omission caused the machine to turn over. Particular caution when entering a turn was required from the drivers, who drove a special-purpose vehicle. The problem of self-pulling was solved in the model with the index "A", which was equipped with a winch.
Modifications
Based on the standard version, many models have been developed.
GAZ-63A
The most popular was considered a truck with the index "A". He got a winch. Designers placed it in front of the buffer, located in front of the frame. The winch worked at the expense of the driveshaft from the power takeoff. The length of the cable is 65 meters, its carrying capacity was 4.5 thousand kilograms. A towing device appeared on the rear frame. The cab and body structures were not changed.
Other models
In addition to GAZ-63A, there are other versions:
- "E" - received shielded electrical equipment;
- "AE" - combines the innovations of the two previous modifications;
- "U" - the version was developed for export to other countries;
- "AU" - export model with a winch;
- "EU" - model for delivery to other countries with shielded electrical equipment;
- "Yu" - a vehicle for operation in a tropical climate;
- "EH" - similar to the previous model machine with shielded electrical equipment;
- "П" - the saddle tractor with dvukhskatnaya busbar wheels.
There are several other uncommon variants that include fire fighting vehicles, tank trucks, etc.
What can be done?
GAZ-63 - the legendary car with a rich history. It brought a lot of benefits not only to our country, but also to foreign countries, to which it was exported. The high quality of the car is confirmed by the fact that some copies are operated in our time, almost 50 years after the completion of production.
