On the chassis ZIS 151. Veteran cars. View from the cockpit

In 1948, the production of the first three-axle all-wheel drive trucks in the USSR was launched at the Stalin Moscow Automobile Plant. The ZIS-151 model outwardly resembled American Lend-Lease trucks from the war years, and was primarily associated with the most famous then. And such a distant degree of kinship in the title of the material is not announced by chance. In reality, these two machines did not have as much in common as it might seem. What was borrowed from these foreign machines without any significant changes? What was done by the creators of the new ZIS truck on their own? What was the evolution of the development of the Soviet machine for almost 45 years of history, (taking into account its modernization -), production? About all this, with figures and facts - in the proposed material.

General car layouts

Figure 1. Studebaker US6

Fig 2. ZIS-151

Studebaker and ZIS-151 are somewhat similar in appearance. This is emphasized by the overall dimensions of the machines as a whole, similar cargo-passenger platforms, as well as dual "six-window" wheels on the rear bogies. In addition, both machines have a similar layout of transmission units.

This gave rise to a certain Kochnev from the Kolesa.ru magazine in an article "Legendary Studebaker and the Red Army: what would have happened without you?", to conclude that the "Studer" was the prototype of the ZIS-151.

Choking with reverence for this foreign car (and how else can one regard the title of his material), the author directly states the following. “He (“Studer”) was shamelessly copied in the development of post-war domestic trucks” But how could it be otherwise? But differently!

Since 1934, the three-axle (6x4) truck ZIS-6 has been produced in the USSR. Just as later on the ZIS-151, on this machine, even then, a balancing rear spring suspension of two drive axles, and a demultiplier in the transmission, (1.–1.53; 2.-1.00) were already used - an application for all-wheel drive transmission of a cross-country vehicle. In 1938, real running models of the ZIS-15 machine were built, with an all-metal closed streamlined cabin, like the future ZIS-150 and ZIS-151 cabins.

And in 1941, a model of a two-axle all-wheel drive truck ZIS-32 went into production. At that time, a two-stage transfer case was already used on this machine, (1. - 1.76; 2. - 1.00).

And what about the Studebaker, which until the second year of the war in our country, in general, very few people had heard of? Or will Kochnev try to prove to someone that if the American allies had not set examples with their Lend-Lease three-axles, our designers would not have “assembled” such a machine from the technical solutions already mentioned and used earlier? And why exactly "Studebaker", and not "International" or "GMC", was the prototype of the future layout of the three-axle ZIS? But Kochnev, of course, did not think about the answers to such questions. His word (which, as we will see more than once, is worth little), he has already said.

Engines ZIS-151/ZIL-157

The power units of the American and Soviet cars were similar not only in appearance and in general layout - six-cylinder in-line lower valves, they even had the same nominal cylinder diameters, 4 inches, (101.6 mm.).

No wonder - one of the varieties of the Hercules engine was installed on the Studer, and on the ZIS-151, a further development of this American model of the power unit, but according to the Soviet scenario.

There are two fundamental differences between these engines. Firstly, the American engine had a "side" pump of the cooling system with a gear drive from the camshaft, and the ZIS motor had a "central" pump with a belt drive from the crankshaft pulley. And secondly, the Yankees used a single-disk clutch with a central conical pressure spring, and the Soviet designers considered it good to use a reinforced double-disk clutch with peripheral cylindrical pressure springs. Although clutches are related to transmission units, they are carried out - they, as you know, are in a common assembly with motors.

On ZIS-151 machines, produced before the middle of 1950, there was another fundamental difference from the Studer - the ZIS-120 engine was installed with a “lower” location, an MKZ-14V carburetor, which was mounted under the intake manifold and provided an upward flow combustible mixture, only due to the vacuum in the cylinders. Such a power unit with a working volume of 5.55 liters. and a compression ratio of 6.0 units, developed 90 hp. at 2400 rpm, and 31 kgm at 1200-1300 rpm.

The new ZIS-121 engine, from the middle of 1950 to the end of 1956, used a single-chamber "top" carburetor K-80B, with a falling mixture flow. This gave an increase in power up to 92 hp. at 2600 rpm And the transition to the two-chamber device K-84, with a simultaneous increase in the compression ratio to 6.2 units, made it possible to achieve a power of 104 hp and a torque of up to 34 kgm at the same speed ranges.

The ZIS-121 engine was also inherited by the “younger brother”, ZIL-157, where it was used until 1961. There was nothing surprising in this, because already in the first editions of the new car, (for example, "Catalogue of spare parts for cars ZIL-157 and ZIL-157V", M. "Engineering" 1958), it was clearly indicated that the ZIL-157 is a modernization machines ZIS-151.

In 1961, an updated ZIL-157K truck appeared, with a power unit of the same factory designation. The K-84M carburetor once again made it possible to slightly increase the power, up to 109 hp. at 2800 rpm, and the fundamental difference of the new engine was in a single-plate clutch.

In 1978, a modification of the 157KD power unit appeared, where the piston group was unified with the ZIL-130 engine. The motor was equipped with a K-88AZh carburetor, and received an increased to 6.5 units. compression ratio. Power increased to 110 hp. at 2800 rpm, and a torque of up to 35 kgm., at 1100-1400 rpm. Centrifugal oil cleaning was introduced on this engine, instead of the two-stage filtration used since the days of the Studers and ZIS-151.

It is impossible to ignore one more, in its own unique design of the motor, which was a continuation of the ZIS engine, and, unfortunately, did not receive a start in life. In the second half of the 50s, a power unit was created for the then promising base truck of the new family.

It was an in-line engine with the same dimensions of the cylinder-piston group as the ZIS-151 / ZIL-157 - 6 x 101.6 x 114.3, and with the same working volume of 5.55 liters. But he had an overhead valve gas distribution mechanism, increased to 7.5 units. compression ratio, and a completely new two-chamber K-86 carburetor.

Let the reader not be confused by the indicated compression ratio - it freely "digested" the A-74 and A-76 gasolines already available at that time. And the Moskvich-407 car, known to retro lovers, for example, with a compression ratio of 7.0 units, was ordered to operate on A-72 gasoline.

According to the NIIAT reference book, published in 1958, the promising in-line "six" ZIL developed a power of 140 hp. at 3200 rpm And its torque was 36 kgm. at 1500-1600 rpm. The well-known V-shaped 8-cylinder engine ZIL-130, as we know, was the most powerful by 10 hp. at the same rpm. shaft, and its torque was only 5 kgm. more.

But in the time of Khrushchev, as you know, it was customary to prove to the "American guys" that we also know how to do everything the same as they do. And in a directive order on the new ZIL trucks, they were obliged to install a two-row “eight”. With the worst balance of moving parts and the entire motor as a whole, due to the mutually perpendicular operation of the left and right connecting rod and piston groups. With the worst filling of the "extreme", 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th cylinders due to the excess resistance of the long channels of the intake manifold - the "spider". With lower efficiency inclined cylinders. With more complex crank and gas distribution mechanisms. But why this 140-horsepower overhead valve "six", for example, was not installed on the same ZIL-157 - the question, of course, is interesting ...

The Soviet three-axle ZIS, unlike the American ancestor, immediately received almost double the fuel range - 2 tanks of 150 liters each. Domestic designers did not count on the timely possibilities of refueling an army vehicle with a single gas tank, in possible combat conditions. They thought, thus, about increasing the survivability of the car, and the autonomy of its course, in case of damage to one of the tanks. I wonder why the Americans, who were preparing their cars almost immediately for the war, were not puzzled by the same thing?

But, unfortunately, when creating something new, we sometimes cannot but make something worse than what was before, we will see this more than once. And on the ZIL-157, the total fuel supply was reduced to 215 liters. - the main tank is 150, and the additional one is 65 liters. True, with the original reserve, (2x150 liters), all types of truck tractors remained (ZIL-157V, -157KV, and -157KDV), but after all, all these vehicles were originally developed and produced for the same service conditions!

Transmissions ZIS-151/ZIL-157

As already mentioned, until 1961, and after, the engines of the "brothers" differed in clutches. I personally doubt the meaning of the transition to a single-plate clutch on machines of the "heavy weight category", which was the ZIL brand.

A two-disk unit is more durable and wear-resistant by definition, less loads fall on the damping springs of both driven disks, a smoother transfer of forces to the wheels occurs when driving on heavy and slippery off-road conditions, especially with trailers.

On machines of a closer "relatives", and the same weight category - trucks of the Ural Automobile Plant, single-plate clutches, for example, with ZIL engines, have never been used. But it's not for me to judge the Moscow designers from 1961. I was just born that year.

The gearboxes of ZIS and ZIL machines, before and after 1961, differed in design, gear ratios and gear shifting algorithms.

The ZIS-151 unit, like the Studebaker gearbox, was five-speed and had a fifth overdrive. The gear ratios differed from the American characteristics, (in brackets), and amounted to the following numbers: 1. - 6.24 (6.06); 2.-3.32(3.5); 3.– 1.90 (1.8); 4.– 1.00 (1.00); 5.- 0.81 (0.79); Z.H. - 6.70 (6.0).

Pay attention to the following. When the "reverse" (Z.X. gear) is turned on in the domestic gearbox, due to an additional gear that changes the direction of rotation of the gearbox output shaft to the opposite, this leads to an increase in the ratio of this gear in comparison with the first forward speed.

The Americans made it so that their "reverse" in terms of traction loses the first gear. If this data on the American gearbox is not a typo in the Lend-Lease documentation, then another clear evidence that the ZIS gearbox was not a copy of the Studera gearbox. The general concept, and nothing more.

What really, without any significant changes, was borrowed from the "Studer" on this topic for ZIS and ZIL machines - only the kinematics of the transmission control drives.

If until 1961, a gearbox from the previous model was installed on the ZIL-157 (essentially, from the ZIS-150), then starting from the 157K model, a gearbox from the promising ZIL-130 truck was installed, with the fifth "direct" transmission, and relationships: 1.- 7.44; 2.- 4.10; 3. - 2.29; 4.-1.47; 5.-1.00; Z.H.-7.09.

Kochnev, already known to us, unequivocally stated that the ZIS-151 used American (without "quotes"!), Transfer cases and drive axles. Well, at least he didn’t say that American cardan shafts were also used. But even with the statement already made, he publicly put himself in a puddle up to his ears. Without at least thinking about the fact that at the time the production of the ZIS-151 began, the Cold War was already underway, and there was no question of any technical assistance for the production of army vehicles. But - to other facts.

The fact that the handouts of the ZIS and the "Studer" had different gear ratios, 1.- 2.44, (2.602); 2. - 1.24, (1.55), respectively, Kochnev, let's say, could not know. However, if he considers himself an expert, and has the right to teach others, he would have to know the following:

These transfer boxes had parking brakes of various designs. On the Soviet machine, a disc shoe mechanism was used, and on the American machine, a drum band brake. But the "handbrakes" are tied not so much with the output shafts of the "razdatok", but with their basic parts - crankcases. And these are already inevitable differences in crankcases.
ZIS and "Studer" differed fundamentally in the connection of cardan shafts, both to transfer cases and to drive axles. The Soviet cars used a flange interconnection of these transmission elements, with already assembled cardan joints, while the American cars used detachable "ears" of the forks of the crosses. And therefore, when connecting - undocking cardan gears, the Yankees had to assemble cardan joints "in place" under the car, or disassemble these joints to be able to dismantle the units. So much for "similarity" - the interchangeability of handouts!

Transfer boxes ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 are also non-interchangeable with each other. Razdatka "younger brother" has other gear ratios, 1. -2.27; 2. -1.16.

But in any case, it is impossible to install one instead of the other purely technically, due to the size and layout of their parking brakes. In both cases, the nearest frame crossbars, which have different configurations and fastenings along the length of the frame, mutually interfere.

With the "American" ("quotes" mine - A.K.) driving axles on the ZIS-151, it's still funnier and more stupid. For the American car had hydraulic brakes, and the ZIS was equipped with pneumatics. If Kochnev does not understand that the brake mechanisms, by definition, are the constituent elements of the general aggregate assembly of drive axles, then where did he get into with such his “competence”? And if he even guesses that domestic and foreign bridges are designed to be connected to brake systems that are completely different in structure, then how could he “bestow” the ZIS-151 with bridges from Studebaker?

Finding at least four "flashy" differences between American (Fig. 9) and "American" (according to Kochnev) (Fig. 10) rear axles-bogies is an optional task for readers.

In the front axles of the Soviet trucks ZIS-151 and ZIL-157, just like the Studer, ball joint joints of the Bendix-Weiss type were used. But ball joints were known to us even before the Lend-Lease three-axle vehicles, on the GAZ-61-40, (1938) and GAZ-64, (1941) cars

Figures 11, 12 and 13 show the hubs, steering knuckles and constant velocity joints of the front axles of the Studebaker, ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 vehicles, respectively. They are given without footnotes - explanations, only to illustrate the visual differences of related units, and did not have the task of teaching readers their detailed structure. And it seems that there is no need to specifically comment on the differences between foreign and domestic designs. For it is clearly seen that the VMS bridges are neither "gifts" from Truman, nor their high-quality "copies".

Fig 11. Swivel fist and hub "Studebaker"

The rear drive axles of the ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 were basically the same - with “direct” main gears, fully unloaded axle shafts and separate hubs on double tapered roller bearings. But they differed in the profile of the brake drums, and in addition, the hubs of the rear axles "157" also differed in structural elements in terms of air supply to the tires. And the front axles of these machines, as the reader has already seen, had completely different hub designs, and the length of the outer fists of the CV joints. The main gears of all axles of both models, with a number of 6.67 units, were, of course, completely interchangeable.

Chassis ZIS-151/ZIL-157

The front springs of the ZIS-151, like those of the Studebaker, had “ears” and were hinged to the frame using earrings and threaded pins, while the ZIL-157 had these suspension elements sliding in brackets with rubber cushions.

In addition, the early model used lever front suspension shock absorbers, and subsequent machines used telescopic units. The rear balancing suspensions of both "brothers" were made the same, with two pairs of lower reaction arms, and one pair of upper ones. The ends of the spring packs had sliding bearings on the beams of the bridges.

The Soviet three-axle, just like the Studer, had a ten-wheel chassis, but at the same time it was equipped with two spare wheels, and not one spare wheel, like the "American". And again, our designers abandoned "shameless copying" in favor of common sense!

The ZIS-151, unlike the Studebaker, never had tires with a reverse tread pattern, but was equipped with only a directional herringbone. On cars manufactured in the 40s, “two-horse” rims from the ZIS-5 were still used (Fig. 21), with tires from the ZIS-32. This is evidenced by the pre-war standard of their designation, 34x7, where 34 inches is the outer diameter of the tires along the treadmill, and 7 inches is the width of the inner diameter of the tire along the rim shelf.

And on the “six-window” rims for the new three-axle, a modified “herringbone” was installed, a new designation standard, 8.25x20, where in inches only the landing dimensions of the disk were indicated, respectively, the width of its shelf and the diameter of the rim. And the ZIL-157 had only one type of herringbone tread and tires measuring 10.0x18.

The anecdote is that having equipped the ZIL-157 with heavier wheels compared to the ZIS-151 (110 kg versus 75 kg, respectively), the designers also abandoned the more convenient and easy fastening of the portable “reserve”.

Instead of rolling the wheels, along the folding sidewalls, ramps of the holders, behind the cab, as it was before 1958, they now had to be hung under the body. But how? With the help of attached removable additional winches. And with these winches, as well as self-pulling winches, the machines were equipped only “by special agreement” !!!

Imagine that, under a special agreement, the “spare wheels” themselves, as well as jacks and “balonniks” would be attached! And these winches could have been in a fever, and lost, and simply “expropriated” for auxiliary, household needs! Moreover, these removable-suspended (Fig. 15) auxiliary mechanisms did not even have their own, somewhat convenient crank handles for turning around, and it was prescribed to use ordinary wrenches 19x22 to work with them! Truly, as the well-known politician of our time said, “We wanted the best, but it turned out as always ...”

On the ZIL-157, as you know, a system of centralized tire pressure regulation was introduced. Until 1968, this system had an in-cab block of tire cranes, and the driver, even while the car was moving, could operate by “blowing” any wheel, if the rest of the cylinders did not require it. But on later cars, for some reason, they refused such a distribution unit, forcing drivers to open and close wheel cranes with wrenches, running around the car, possibly in the rain ...

Let me express my personal opinion that such a swap system, by and large, was not needed on this machine. The ZIL-157 outperformed the ZIS-151 in cross-country ability at least with wide-profile tires and single rear wheels that did not (in the terminology of NAMI employees) give the “bulldozer effect” of the rear bogie.

This advantage did not lead to unnecessary losses of power and traction. And taking into account the features of the engine, (see below), 10-speed transmission, and good weight distribution along the axes, with a gross weight that is permissible for dirt roads, - 2.8 tons. + (2.9 tons + 2.9 tons), “one hundred and fifty-seventh” could give odds to many other cars.

The destiny of such cross-country vehicles, which only the lazy does not call "SUVs", (a completely different category of vehicles), are ROADS. Wet, unpaved, with deep ruts, snowy and icy, possibly with steep descents and ascents on rough terrain. But suitable for the movement of only SUCH cars.

Why drive these vehicles into virgin snow knee-deep and higher, into swampy lowlands and rivers with swampy banks and muddy bottoms - into the “responsibility zone” of the GAZ-47 caterpillar snow and swamp vehicles and the ZIS-485 amphibians, which appeared even earlier?

Centralized pumping involves the use of softer tires to allow them to deform and increase the footprint on soft soils. But these same tires are also easier to damage on sharp stones, snags and other off-road “accessories”. In such a situation, stiffer tires, like or more reliable, and therefore preferable. And who doesn’t understand that by relieving pressure and reducing ground clearance, the driver forces the car to start “plowing” off-road with bridge beams earlier?

There are many amateur videos on the Internet about the capabilities of the ZIL-157. There are also almost hopeless cases of “landing” the car in mud or deep snow. But we see how in most cases these three-axles get out of the swing from there, and at the same time - on “inflated”, and not on “flattened” tires.

Yes, pumping helps in case of small punctures to get to the base without changing the wheel. Since replacing it with “157”, taking into account all the necessary operations, the task is almost more “dreary” than replacing the dual rear ramp with the ZIS-151.

But everything will be determined by air leakage through a damaged tire. If at the same time the compressor cannot provide the minimum pressure for the normal operation of the brakes (4.5 atm.), The pumping will be disconnected by an automatic valve from the general pneumatic system of the machine. But manuals-textbooks that describe the advantages of constantly pumping a damaged wheel on the go, are silent about this!

In view of the foregoing, it seems that if the ZIL-157 had tires of the same size, but with constant pressure and with stiffer sidewalls, hardly any of the drivers of such cars would have lost anything from this.

Control mechanisms

Studebaker steering trapezoids, ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 were almost identical in layout, kinematic scheme. But the steering mechanisms are different. The Americans used a mechanism of the type "cylinder worm and crank with two fingers", with a gear ratio of 22 units. And both Soviet machines had mechanisms "globoidal worm - three-ridged roller", with a ratio of 23.5 units. Again, not according to Kochnev!

The Studebaker brake system, as already mentioned, had a hydraulic drive with an amplifier. The amplifier greatly facilitated the work of the driver, but did not replace his strength. The Soviet ZIS had a pneumatic brake drive, and the efficiency of slowing down the car depended only on the amount of movement of the brake pedal, and not on the force of pressing it.

Well, and as the reader guesses, in the event of leaks in the brake actuators, domestic cars, unlike the Studers, did not need to unscrew the wheels and remove the brake drums.

ZIS-151 cars were always designed for towing trailers, but double brake valves for controlling the pneumatic brakes of trailers were received only in 1953.

A little about wheel brakes. It was already mentioned earlier that the bridges of the machines of the models "151" and "157" differed in brake drums. And, in order not to make unfounded statements, we must say the following. Since the rear wheels of the ZIS trucks were dual, a greater efficiency of the rear mechanisms was also required. That is why the "one hundred and fifty-first" rear pads were wider than the front ones (100 versus 70 mm, respectively), with the same front and rear diameters of the brake drums - 420 mm. But for the three-axle ZIL, the designers equalized the width of all the pads “in a circle” to 70 mm., While reducing the diameters of all drums to 380 mm.

It has already been mentioned here that the ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 cars until 1961 had open disc parking brake mechanisms, and after that they were replaced by closed drum mechanisms. I personally doubt the expediency of such a replacement.

Firstly, in terms of the kinematics of its drive levers, the disc hand brake is a “pincer” type mechanism, and provides equal pressing forces for the front and rear pads (see Fig. 16).

By analogy with the same equal conditions for the inner and outer pads of wheel disc service brakes, provide "floating" calipers (brake calipers). And in drum mechanisms, the pads do not work on equal terms - only one, “oncoming” pad, has the effect of self-locking.

In those days when there was no separate braking along the axes, and the service brake system could fail completely, for emergency braking with a handbrake, this, I think, was an important factor in favor of the disk mechanism.

Secondly, the disk mechanism is always "in sight" in terms of the ability to control the state of its pads. And when replacing them, it does not require disconnection and re-attachment of the cardan shaft, removal and installation of the brake drum.

And thirdly, as we know, the time has come for working wheel disc brakes on trucks. So was there any reason to move away from the disk "handbrake"?

Electrical equipment ZIS-151/ZIL-157

Trucks ZIS-151, unlike the "Studers", immediately received 12-volt electrical equipment, although 6-volt "American" electrical circuits were still used on the machines of the Ural (Ural-ZIS-5M), and Ulyanovsk (GAZ-MM ) factories.

In the absence of 12-volt batteries, two 6-volt 3ST-84 batteries in series were used. The same batteries were later used on the ZIL-157, until the beginning of the 70s. Further ZIL-157 were equipped with two 3ST-95 batteries or one 6ST-75 battery.

All ZIS-151s had a "plus" to "ground" polarity, which was inherited and the first issues of ZIL-157. However, in accordance with the all-Union standard introduced on May 1, 1960, in the future, all Soviet cars received the polarity "minus" to "mass"

Until the second half of 1953, the ZIS-151 engines were equipped with ST-15 starters with a power of 1.8 hp. with remote electromagnetic activation and control by a button on the dashboard. Subsequently, ST-15B starting motors with direct activation from the foot pedal began to be installed. However, the explanation for this is the simplest - a truck, especially for the army, should have the least number of potential malfunctions - failures. Therefore, the starters on all ZIL-157s were also turned on from the pedal.

DC generators, G-15, (“plus” to ground), and G-108, (“minus” to ground), had the same characteristics - a recoil current of 18-20A., and a power of 225 watts. And only on all truck tractors - ZIL-157V, -KV and -KDV, direct current generators G-56, with a return of 28A, were used. and a power of 350 watts.

In the entire history of their production, the Soviet "brothers" had four types of instrument clusters.

On the ZIS-151, from the beginning of production, and until the second half of 1953, a combination of the KP5 type, unified with other brands of Soviet trucks, was used, with glass common to all devices, internal lamps for their illumination, and a Raduga-type speedometer scale.

Figure 17. KP5 combination

In 1953-1956, a combination of the KP5-B type was installed, with separate round "windows" for all arrow indicators, their external illumination lights, and a single control lamp for the "high" headlights.

Since 1956, on the latest releases of the ZIS-151, and the first batches of ZIL-157, a combination of the KP5-K type has been used. The fundamental difference from the previous node is that separate control lamps for the left and right direction indicators have been added.

The latest instrument cluster was the KP5-E variety, with a common indicator lamp for the direction indicator and a “high beam” lamp.

It is interesting to note that neither on the ZIS-151, nor on the ZIL-157, the electrical circuits of the arrow indicators of instrument clusters were protected by fuses at all. The fuses on these machines were put only on the lighting and alarm systems, (“stop” signals, “turn signals”, and horn), and on the “157” model, in addition, on the fans of the “stove” and blowing the cab.

External lighting devices had a standard range, like other trucks of the USSR. Until the second half of the 50s, unified sidelights of the PF3 type were used, with a single-filament lamp only for side light.

With the introduction of the standard for the use of light PF10 for double-filament lamps, and rear direction indicators in separate direction indicators, unified cargo sidelights for lamps of the UP5 type appeared.

Until the end of the 1950s, only left rear marker lights and "stop" signals were installed (lantern of the FP-13 type, with real Rubin glass, and not with a plastic diffuser). But the rear right lights, judging by the already mentioned spare parts catalog, published in 1958, did not yet have the first issues of ZIL-157.

As you know, some of the ZIL-157 vehicles (modifications with the letter suffix "G" after the digital model index) had shielded electrical equipment to reduce interference with the operation of army radio stations.

The engines of such machines were equipped with R-51 ignition distributors (instead of standard R-21A devices), B5-A ignition coils (instead of B1), shielded G-112 or G-118 generators (instead of the usual G-12 or G-108 ), as well as shielded wires of low and high voltage circuits of ignition systems.

In addition, the machines were equipped with filters for the FR-82A ignition coil circuit, and the FR-81A relay-regulator, and also had shielded versions of the regulator relays themselves - RR-24E.

Why such details? If the reader in similar materials of other authors meets only a mention of shielded electrical equipment, in passing, but without any specifics, then he has the right to draw conclusions about the sufficiency of the “superficially ostentatious” knowledge of such an author. In another case, a smart author, what he does not know well, will try to get around the "tenth road"

Cabins, plumage, bodies ZIS-151/ZIL-157

The ZIS-151 cars of the first releases had wood - metal cabins, their features are clearly visible in the photo. The roofs of the cabins are not yet solidly stamped, but type-setting. Doors and doorways do not yet have rounded corners at the bottom. And under the door windows, moldings are noticeable - “layouts”, reinforcing the attachment points of the outer metal sheathing sheets to their wooden frames.

Some modern "biographers" of the brothers' cars put the cabs "151" and "157" almost on the same level, describing them as "ascetic, Spartan, devoid of all and every convenience." But you can't say that!

When driving the ZIS-151 in winter, in the absence of heated windshields, one had to either rub them with saline to prevent fogging, which still worsened transparency and visibility through them. Or drive “with a breeze” (and this is in the absence of a “stove”!), Partially lowering the windows of both side windows of the doors.

But none of this was required on the ZIL-157, with the advent of a heater and a fan for heating windows and cabs. By the way, it was ZIL-157, (1958), the first among Soviet army trucks, that received an electric fan for general heating of the entire cabin. On GAZ-63, (since 1952), YaAZ-214, (1956), and even (1961), only windshields were forcibly heated, and cabs could be heated only due to the oncoming air flow when the car was moving.

In addition, the ZIL-157 also had a ceiling fan for blowing the cabin, ed. 191-8104210. He could act soberingly from sleep on long and night roads, and helped to endure the heat more easily. Is this also the same disadvantage in terms of discomfort? By the way, ordinary two-axle ZIL vehicles with a 4x2 wheel formula did not have the last option ...

The cabs of the machines under consideration were equipped with pneumatic wipers, with smooth adjustment of the speed of the brushes and a backup manual drive. They, like units, were interchangeable for installation on the chassis of cars, one instead of the other.

Unless, of course, we take into account the difference in special equipment for the centralized tire inflation system (pressure regulation control valve, control pressure gauge, and in-cab tire valve block, for cars manufactured in 1958-1968). But the hoods - "butterflies" were not interchangeable. At the "Stalinist" machine, they were fixed in the closed position with simple folding outer hooks, while at the "Khrushchev" machine, they were more complex in design and less convenient to use internal valves. Who thought of such a senseless "unification" - the story is silent about that.

The “151” radiator lining, welded from corners and stripes, may have been designed to “break through” the machine, if necessary, thickets of bushes and small trees, it is no coincidence that headlight protection was also introduced. But the one-piece stamped sheet metal lining "157" was more vulnerable to damage.

Universal cargo-passenger platforms with longitudinal folding benches along the sides, which also appeared on Soviet army trucks, are really the merit of American designers. On the machines of the Red Army before the war, it was customary to transport personnel on transverse removable benches. However, to fall into euphoria about this - "Well done Americans, they came up with this one"! - Personally, I wouldn't. For, as the well-known (and universal) saying of professional motorists says, "It does not affect the speed."

When comparing the ZIS-151 and ZIL-157 in profile, the body of the second car is immediately striking. This made it possible to reduce the rear overhang of the frame and body, and increase the rear exit angle, (horizontal patency) from 32 to 43 degrees.

But the reverse side of the medal was the forced rejection of the second 150-liter gas tank - in its place was placed the only spare wheel now. Did the operators benefit from such a change in geometric cross-country ability more than they lost from the loss of the former, and the aforementioned design advantages? Let the answers to these questions remain homework for the readers.

And the frames with the former size of the rear overhang, like the ZIS-151, on the part of the varieties of the ZIL-157 chassis, still remained ...

Modifications

Since on the chassis of three-axle trucks ZIS and ZIL, subcontractors mounted a variety of installations for the army and the national economy (multiple launch rocket systems, transport-loading vehicles, fire trucks and ladders, aerial platforms) as well as closed bodies for special purposes (PARM, PRP, KShM, MTO-AT, ARS), it makes no sense to consider their entire range. It is better to take a closer look at the main modifications of the parent plant and the differences in their chassis.

The ZIS-151 car was produced with an onboard platform in two versions - the main model, and a modification "151A" with a winch. Although the car was intended primarily for the army, in those. documentation has always indicated that "winches are installed by special agreement with the customer." Apparently, the representative of the latter also determined the equipment of the machines with power take-offs, (PTO), of which there were three varieties.

A three-speed PTO, with a first gear of 2.0 and a second speed of 0.739, also had a reverse gear of 1.13, for the forced issuance of the winch cable.

The two-speed PTO had the same gears for first and second gears, but did not have a reverse, and therefore the cable had to be unwound manually.

Both of these power take-offs (optional) were installed on the crankcase of the main gearbox of the car, and were designed only to work with the gearshift lever in neutral position - they did not allow power take-off from the engine when the car was moving. The same units existed in two versions, with the issuance of their shaft forward in the direction of the car (to drive the winch), or backward, to drive other special equipment of the car without a winch.

And only a single-speed PTO, with a 1.0 gearbox, could be installed on the transfer case, only for additional equipment. Just like the first two power take-offs, the third one did not allow the operation of auxiliary equipment when the car was moving.

In the special literature on the logging road trains of that era, the ZIS-151 logging tractor was also mentioned. However, at the same time, it was separately stipulated that such machines were not produced by the parent plant, or its subcontractors, but were converted from ordinary "bortoviks" in the forestry enterprises that exploited them.

According to some reports, there were cars in the version of truck tractors. But, neither the reference book of NIIAT, (1958), nor the catalog of parts of the ZIS-151 confirm this. Therefore, if such tractors actually existed, then it is also impossible to consider them otherwise than as “self-propelled guns”.

The modernized car ZIS-151, which, as we now know, was the ZIL-157 model, received a kind of truck tractor "157B", further - "157KV", and "157KDV". The mandatory package of all "saddlers" included, like the model "151", two identical fuel tanks, and two holders for spare wheels. In addition, all these machines had self-pulling winches, and a commander's hatch in the roof, above the passenger seat. These vehicles were equipped with fifth-wheel couplings with three degrees of freedom - in rotation, and in the longitudinal and transverse swing angles of the semi-trailer frame, relative to the frame of the tractor. By the way, the usual road "saddlers", ZIL-164AN, did not always have saddles with three degrees of freedom.

Rice. 26. The so-called "rocket train" with a ZIL-157V tractor. Early 60s

ZIL-157 vehicles, unlike ZIS, did not have letter indices indicating the presence of a winch, but just as in the first case, they were equipped with winches only “by special agreement”. And the power take-off for the winch on these machines had one winding speed - 1.0, and reverse - 0.76.

And here are the types of cars ZIL-157KE, and ZIL-157KDE, were produced as a chassis for special installations and special bodies of the KUNG type. They had a slightly elongated rear frame overhang, and also had two identical fuel tanks.

It was these chassis, like the ZIS-151 chassis at one time, that were used for the manufacture of fire ladders and tank trucks. However, the chassis of fire trucks had their own, additional features, laid down by the parent plant - the manufacturer, and before the "intervention" of other subcontractors - fire fighting equipment factories.

The special equipment of the chassis of Soviet fire engines - tankers, ladders and auxiliary technical service vehicles (ZIS and ZIL three-axle trucks are no exception), in terms of their preparation at the head plant, included the following additional design solutions.

Modified exhaust systems, with engine exhaust manifolds for:

Gas-jet pumps of ejector type, (based on the principle of capturing liquid by rarefaction of a passing stream of air, gases, or steam), for filling tankers in the field from any open reservoirs;
Heating of the rear cabin (combat crew, only on ZIS vehicles), and a water tank in winter;
To power the alarm gas siren. With a special lever on the floor of the cab, the driver redirected part of the exhaust gases to the signal siren, just like locomotive whistles are powered by steam from a boiler.

Drives for remote control of engine speed and clutch, for the possibility of controlling a fire pump from the rear compartment of a tank truck, or for controlling a rotary barbette of an auto ladder and extending its knees.

Reinforced engine cooling systems, for the possibility of their long-term operation without overheating at a standing car, in the absence of an oncoming air flow, and in a zone of elevated temperatures at the fire site. For this purpose, additional heat exchangers were installed in the engine compartments, where the water of the main cooling system, through the coils, was in contact with the cold water supplied by the fire pump to the fire extinguishing site.

Auxiliary cooling systems for gearboxes and power take-offs to prevent them from overheating under the conditions described above. In the crankcases of these units, coils passed, connected to the engine cooling system. In addition, special impellers - fans were installed on the output shafts of the power take-offs, for external air cooling of the transmission units of special fire equipment during its operation.

And the chassis of fire trucks were also equipped with additional terminal blocks for connecting special auxiliary electrical equipment - additional lighting for the controls of special equipment, the fighting compartment and compartments for equipment and entrenching tools, water level control lamps, temperature conditions, etc. The machines also had electric fans for cooling engine starters, and their activation control from the rear compartment.

In the late 80s, a batch of ZIL-MMZ-4510 dump trucks was manufactured at the Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant. These machines were assembled on the overhauled and retrofitted chassis of the ZIL-157 machines, with the preservation of their original cabs and plumage details. With all the dubious expediency of such a design (off-road payload, minus the weight of dump equipment, decreased to 2 tons), these were machines produced by the ZIL allied plant. And therefore, they are apparently the latest modifications of the "one hundred and fifty-seventh"

Conclusion

What can I say at the end of this article? Readers, of course, may be aware that the ZIL-157 on the conveyor of the Novouralsk Automobile Plant of the full cycle, (and not the "screwdriver" assembly), produced before 1993, survived the Moscow ZIL-131 (produced until 1990). Is it logical? Of course!

The low-speed engines of the "second cousins" were better suited for difficult off-road conditions and deep mud. Than the "eight" ZIL-131 - a faster and more powerful engine, which was a kind of power unit of an ordinary highway truck. More high-torque "sixes", other things being equal, less often required gear changes, without forcing the driver to once again interrupt the traction force on the wheels, which sometimes led to a complete stop and jamming of the car.

The second undoubted plus of the six-cylinder in-line engines ZIS and ZIL, however strange it may seem, is their lower power and lower throttle response. The driver was largely insured against an erroneous "overdose" of revolutions, the release of weak soil from under the wheels, and the failure of the car onto bridges.

Of course, not everything is so clear cut. Much depends on the skill of a particular driver, and on the condition of the ground under the wheels of a particular car, and on its actual weight. And yet, it seems that many professional drivers, both civilian and military, who had the opportunity to personally compare the working capabilities of the "brothers" and their descendants, will not dispute this axiom ...

The history of the ZIL-151 (ZIS-151) car begins back in 1944, when a new all-wheel drive two-axle model that did not pass the standards of the Ministry of Defense ZIS-150 was released at the automobile plant, after which the development of a three-axle all-wheel drive vehicle immediately began. In 1946, two prototypes of the ZiS-151 were built; in May, the first version of the car with gable rear wheels (ZiS-151-2) was ready, and in the autumn the second prototype (ZiS-151-1) was tested. It had single rear wheels and a cab from the ZiS-150.

In the summer of the same year, ZiS received a technical assignment for a wheeled three-axle armored personnel carrier "Object-140". In the summer of 1947, in comparative off-road tests of American three-axle Studebaker and International cars, domestic ZiS-151-1 and ZiS-151-2, ZiS-151-1 on bus tires 10.50-20 ″ showed the best cross-country ability and higher average off-road speed, except for driving on a swampy meadow. Single-pitch tires went “track to track” and required less energy costs for laying a track than dual-pitch ones.

However, the main army customer insisted on the use of gable rear wheels, despite the more than favorable road test results for the ZiS-151-1. The ZiS-151 was not a Soviet version of the Studebaker, the International, or the GM. They were related by the purpose, layout, design and dimensions of cargo platforms with slatted sides and longitudinal folding benches. At the same time, the ZiS-151 inherited the layout of the drive axles from the GAZ-33, which were identical in design to the GAZ-63 nodes and had nothing to do with the ZiS-150.

During the Cold War years, the American authorities imposed a ban on the sale of certain types of special machine tools to the Soviet Union. Among them were gear-cutting machines for the manufacture of helical teeth of bevel gears of the main gear. Their monopoly supplier for most of the country's automobile plants was the American company Gleason. When the serial production of ZiS-151 trucks began in April 1948, the bottleneck that held back the growth in the production of these vehicles was the section for cutting teeth on the gears of the final drive.

The fleet of Gleason machine tools purchased before the war was insufficient for each ZiS-151; three times more gears were needed than for a conventional ZiS-150 truck. Director of ZiSa I.A. Likhachev then decided to manufacture the necessary machine tools at the plant, cooperating with other industries. The ZiS-151 power unit was a 6-cylinder, gasoline, four-stroke liquid-cooled carburetor engine ZiS-121 (until 1950, the ZiS-120 engine was installed) with a power of 92 hp.

The transmission used a two-disk dry clutch, a 5-speed gearbox, a transfer case with a two-stage demultiplier, five cardan shafts with ten joints. The front suspension is on two longitudinal semi-elliptical springs with double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers and Bendix-Weiss constant velocity joints, the rear suspension is on two longitudinal springs (balanced). The service brake is a shoe brake, on all wheels, with a pneumatic drive and an outlet for connecting to the trailer brake system. Tire size - 8.25-20 ". The car was equipped with two gas tanks with a capacity of 150 liters.

Until 1950, the car had a cabin of wood-metal construction, with wooden steps, stamped plywood lining and a metal front wall, later - a reduced size of an all-metal one. The body is wooden, of a universal type: with high lattice front walls and side walls, folding benches and an awning. At the rear of the car there was a special buffer, located on the same level as the front. This made it possible to overcome particularly difficult sections of the road together with other vehicles of the same type, working as pushers. The car did not have an engine pre-heater and a heater for the driver's cab. The ZiS-151A modification had a winch installed between the engine and the front buffer.

ZiS-151 became the first domestic car with three driving axles. It was widely used in the postwar years in the Red Army. The ZiS-151 chassis served as the basis for a number of rocket artillery combat vehicles, such as BM-13-16, BM-14-16, BMD-20, BM-24. In 1955, the automatic filling station of the chemical troops ARS-12D was put into service. The ACV-28-151 tank for water delivery, the ATZ-3-151 tanker, the VMZ-151 water and oil tanker and many other special vehicles were also produced. On the basis of the ZiS-151A, the KMM bridge-layer (mechanized track bridge) was produced. There were modifications with shielded electrical equipment. The last ZiS-151 left the assembly line in 1958, when it was replaced by a more advanced all-terrain vehicle) - ZIL-157. Cars ZiS-151 are still in good condition and are in museums around the world.

The cross-country ability of this truck, which has lasted in production for over 30 years, can still be called outstanding. The path to its creation was long and difficult, but everyone who worked behind the wheel of these all-terrain vehicles remembers them with a kind word. Numerous versions of the ZIL-157 model could be found in the Far North, and at construction sites in Siberia, and at the laying of pipelines in Central Asia, and, of course, in the armies of many countries of the world. Undoubtedly, it was one of the worthy domestic developments, and it deserves to be remembered.

At the end of the 1930s, when the inevitability of the Second World War was not in doubt, the designers of European factories producing army vehicles were puzzled over how to increase the cross-country ability of cars. Their efforts did not go unnoticed in the USSR, because serious attention was paid to the issues of increasing defense capability. The greatest success in this matter was achieved at the Gorky Automobile Plant, where for the first time they mastered the production of constant velocity joints, which turned the front axle of the car into a leading one.
The merit of the team of designers under the leadership of Andrey Alexandrovich Lipgart lies in the fact that, having tested various two-axle and three-axle trucks, they proved that all-wheel drive vehicles must have single tires, tires with a special tread for various driving conditions on the terrain, a special weight distribution along the axes, etc. It is a pity that the war prevented the implementation of plans for the production of a family of all-terrain vehicles, and after the war the country received only one two-axle all-wheel drive truck GAZ-63, although it had a unique cross-country ability.

At the Moscow Automobile Plant. Stalin, before the war, they managed to release a small batch of two-axle off-road trucks ZIS-32. In the late 1940s, the designers sought to create the Soviet Studebaker US 6x6, based on its technical features and based on the units of the new 4-ton ZIS-150 truck. As you know, these legendary all-terrain vehicles with gable rear wheels have proven themselves in battles with the Nazis, including as a carrier of the famous Katyusha launchers.
The three-axle ZIS-151, to the great chagrin of its creators, turned out to be much worse than the Studebaker. Put into production in April 1948, a year later, during a long run on spring off-road, it was significantly inferior in terms of cross-country ability to both the Lend-Lease prototype and the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicles, which more than once had to pull ZISs out of the mud and snow captivity.

Heavy vehicles (the mass of the ZIS-151 exceeded the mass of the Studebaker per ton) with small wheels and insufficient ground clearance, low-power engines and rear axles with dual tires among the testers were nicknamed "irons", forcing drivers to remove the second ramps and push the stuck car with another car, since the design of special rear bumpers allowed this. In the memoirs of the testers, one can read that thick liquid mud easily covered the rear wheels, turning them into four barrels, helplessly rotating in the mud mass. It was a real torment to remove the outer slopes covered with mud, picking off the dirt with a crowbar, but this was necessary to increase the patency. Dual wheels required more power from the engine, as they laid additional tracks, while the GAZ-63 rear wheels went exactly along the front track.

Truck with Soviet know-how
The mistakes needed to be corrected as soon as possible, especially since the ZIS-151 trucks entered the army, and the ways to solve problems did not look vague. In 1950, the production of the BTR-152 armored personnel carrier began on the basis of the modified ZIS-151 units, but with single-wheel tires for all wheels with tires of a larger dimension. Experimental models of ZIS-151 trucks with single wheels and single gauge axles were created at the plant, work was underway to increase engine power, increase the reliability of other units, and design winches. But the main hopes associated with a radical increase in cross-country ability were placed on the system being created (for the first time in world practice) for centralized regulation of air pressure in tires. The tire manufacturers were instructed to develop a design and master the production of special tires that allow the car to move with a temporarily reduced air pressure in them. As a result, a tire with a size of 12.00-18 was developed (air pressure range 3.0 ... more than 13%. The tire was distinguished by increased elasticity, achieved by increasing the profile width by 25%, reduced to eight layers of cord in the carcass and the use of special interlayers of very soft rubber.

When the air pressure in the tires decreases, the deformation increases and the specific pressure on the ground decreases. As a result, the depth of the rut decreases and, accordingly, the energy consumption for the formation of the rut decreases or the resistance of the soil to the rolling of the wheels decreases. True, it was possible to move at an air pressure of 0.5 kgf / cm2 only at a speed of no more than 10 km / h.

The change in tire pressure was carried out by the driver using a centralized system, which made it possible to regulate and, if necessary, bring the pressure to normal in all tires while the car was moving. The use of such a system was especially liked by the military. The fact is that with this system the survivability of the car was higher. The movement of the truck could continue even in the event of damage to a single tire, since the inflation system compensated for the drop in air pressure in it.
Tests of the new system fully confirmed the theoretical research, and when developing the new ZIL-157 car, which replaced the ZIS-151 all-terrain vehicle on the conveyor in 1958, the choice was made in favor of a new 12.00-18 tire. As a result, the designers had to radically revise the layout of the all-terrain vehicle. Reducing the number of wheels from 10 to 6 made it possible to avoid the installation of two spare wheels, which were mounted vertically behind the cab on the ZIS-151.

This decision led to the elimination of wheel holders behind the cab and made it possible to move the platform to the cab, and shorten the frame by 250 mm at the back, which reduced the overall length of the truck by 330 mm with the same wheelbase. The only spare wheel found a place under the platform.

Optimization of the layout of the ZIL-157 truck improved the distribution of mass along the axles, while the weight of the vehicle decreased by 100 kg.
At first, a system for regulating the air pressure in tires with external air supply with swivel tubes was used on cars, but very soon serious shortcomings of this design appeared. During the off-road movement of the all-terrain vehicle, the protruding outer tubes were damaged, the hub seal in the air supply unit turned out to be poorly protected from dirt, and mounting and dismounting of the wheels caused great difficulties. As a result, almost immediately after the launch of the car, the tire air supply unit was redesigned in favor of air supply from the inside of the wheel.

Modernization of the power unit
The experience of operating ZIS-151 vehicles revealed their low traction and dynamic qualities, especially when towing a trailer, the engines often overheated, the truck consumed a lot of fuel, had low average speeds on paved roads, while the reliability of the components did not suit the operators at all.
All this had to be corrected when creating the ZIL-157. The use of an aluminum block head on a 5.55-liter in-line lower-valve 6-cylinder engine made it possible to increase the compression ratio from 6.0 to 6.2, which, together with the installation of a new carburetor, gave an increase in power from 92 to 104 hp. at 2600 rpm and maximum torque from 304 to 334 N m. The cooling system has also undergone a significant change, which received a six-blade fan and a new radiator.
A new oil pump, new crankshaft seals, water pump seals, a closed crankcase ventilation system were introduced into the engine design, the suspension of the power unit was modernized, etc., which increased its operational properties. Constructive measures led to a decrease in fuel consumption of the ZIL-157 car by 7 ... 22%, depending on road conditions.

During the production process, the car engine was upgraded twice more. In 1961, its power was increased to 109 hp. (model ZIL-157K), they replaced the double-disk clutch with a single-disk one, and since 1978 the truck began to be produced with an engine in which a number of units were unified with the engine of the ZIL-130 car (this version was called ZIL-157KD). The gearbox with 5 gears forward and one reverse was also strengthened, and until 1961 it was produced with a fifth, overdrive gear, which was later abandoned.
The two-stage transfer case with forced engagement of the front axle compared to the ZIS-151 was produced with wear-resistant gears and new seals, and the driveline was redesigned. The transmission of torque to the rear axle was carried out with the help of a propeller fixed on the middle axle. The drive axles received significantly reinforced axle housings, new hubs and brakes. The number of wheel studs has increased from 6 to 8.

The driver is more comfortable
Among the comments on the ZIS-151 model were complaints about the cab: the inconvenience of the driver landing on an unregulated seat, the lack of a heater, its poor dust protection, poor air ventilation, as well as the inefficient operation of shock absorbers and large forces transmitted to the driver's hands from the wheels. All of the above made the work of the driver difficult, turning it, especially in winter, into frank flour. It turned out that eliminating the shortcomings was not so difficult.
Long-liver-winner
The carrying capacity of an all-terrain vehicle on paved roads was limited to 4.5 tons (from 1978 - 5.0 tons), on dirt roads - 2.5 tons. The truck overcame a ford 0.85 m deep, developed a speed of up to 65 km / h, consumed 42 liters of fuel per 100 km. At normal tire pressure (3.0 ... 3.5 kgf / cm2), ZIL-157 performed transport work on roads with a hard unimproved surface. With a decrease in pressure to 1.5 ... 2.0 kgf / cm2, it easily moved on soft and loose soil, and at 0.75 ... 1.0 kgf / cm2 it overcame sand, soaked soil and unpaved dirt roads after a rainstorm. Tire pressure of 0.5 ... 0.7 kgf / cm2 made it possible to freely move around a damp meadow, wetlands, and also successfully overcome deep snow cover. The total mass of the towed trailer when driving on the highway was 3.6 tons.
For high performance parameters, the car received the Grand Prix at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels. It was exported to dozens of countries around the world. Serial production of models of the ZIL-157 family, which included a dozen different versions, continued at the Moscow Automobile Plant. Likhachev until 1988, that is, for many years after the release of more modern ZIL-131 machines. In 1978–1994 the car was assembled at the Ural Automobile Plant (Novouralsk), at that time a branch of ZIL. In total, 797,934 ZIL-157 vehicles of all modifications were manufactured, which many call "off-road kings".

Numerous versions of the ZIL-157 model could be found in the Far North, and at construction sites in Siberia, and at the laying of pipelines in Central Asia, and, of course, in the armies of many countries of the world. Undoubtedly, it was one of the worthy domestic developments, and it deserves to be remembered.

The merit of the team of designers under the leadership of Andrey Alexandrovich Lipgart lies in the fact that, having tested various two-axle and three-axle trucks, they proved that all-wheel drive vehicles must have single tires, tires with a special tread for various driving conditions on the terrain, a special weight distribution along the axes, etc. It is a pity that the war prevented the implementation of plans for the production of a family of all-terrain vehicles, and after the war the country received only one two-axle all-wheel drive truck GAZ-63, although it had a unique cross-country ability.

At the Moscow Automobile Plant. Stalin, before the war, they managed to release a small batch of two-axle off-road trucks ZIS-32. At the end of the 1940s, the designers sought to create the Soviet Studebaker US 6x6, based on its technical features and based on the units of the new 4-ton ZIS-150 truck. As you know, these legendary all-terrain vehicles with gable rear wheels have proven themselves in battles with the Nazis, including as a carrier of the famous Katyusha launchers.

The three-axle ZIS-151, to the great chagrin of its creators, turned out to be much worse than the Studebaker. Put into production in April 1948, a year later, during a long run on spring off-road, it was significantly inferior in terms of cross-country ability to both the Lend-Lease prototype and the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicles, which more than once had to pull ZISs out of the mud and snow captivity.

It was a real torment to remove the outer slopes covered with mud, picking off the dirt with a crowbar, but this was necessary to increase the patency. Dual wheels required more power from the engine, as they laid additional tracks, while the GAZ-63 rear wheels went exactly along the front track.

The mistakes needed to be corrected as soon as possible, especially since the ZIS-151 trucks entered the army, and the ways to solve problems did not look vague. In 1950, the production of the BTR-152 armored personnel carrier began on the basis of the modified ZIS-151 units, but with single-wheel tires for all wheels with tires of a larger dimension. Experimental models of ZIS-151 trucks with single wheels and single gauge axles were created at the plant, work was underway to increase engine power, increase the reliability of other units, and design winches.

But the main hopes associated with a radical increase in cross-country ability were placed on the system being created (for the first time in world practice) for centralized regulation of air pressure in tires. The tire manufacturers were instructed to develop a design and master the production of special tires that allow the car to move with a temporarily reduced air pressure in them. As a result, a tire with a size of 12.00-18 (air pressure range 3.0 ... 0.5 kgf / cm2) was developed, which allows operation with a variable value of radial deformation up to 35% of the profile height, while conventional tires have a radial deformation of no more than 13 %. The tire was distinguished by increased elasticity, achieved by increasing the profile width by 25%, reduced to eight layers of cord in the carcass and the use of special interlayers of very soft rubber.

Tests of the new system fully confirmed the theoretical research, and when developing the new ZIL-157 car, which replaced the ZIS-151 all-terrain vehicle on the conveyor in 1958, the choice was made in favor of a new 12.00-18 tire. As a result, the designers had to radically revise the layout of the all-terrain vehicle. Reducing the number of wheels from 10 to 6 made it possible to avoid the installation of two spare wheels, which were mounted vertically behind the cab on the ZIS-151.

Optimization of the layout of the ZIL-157 truck improved the distribution of mass along the axles, while the weight of the vehicle decreased by 100 kg.

At first, a system for regulating the air pressure in tires with external air supply with swivel tubes was used on cars, but very soon serious shortcomings of this design appeared. During the off-road movement of the all-terrain vehicle, the protruding outer tubes were damaged, the hub seal in the air supply unit turned out to be poorly protected from dirt, and mounting and dismounting of the wheels caused great difficulties. As a result, almost immediately after the launch of the car, the tire air supply unit was redesigned in favor of air supply from the inside of the wheel.

The experience of operating ZIS-151 vehicles revealed their low traction and dynamic qualities, especially when towing a trailer, the engines often overheated, the truck consumed a lot of fuel, had low average speeds on paved roads, while the reliability of the components did not suit the operators at all.

All this had to be corrected when creating the ZIL-157. The use of an aluminum block head on a 5.55-liter in-line lower-valve 6-cylinder engine made it possible to increase the compression ratio from 6.0 to 6.2, which, together with the installation of a new carburetor, gave an increase in power from 92 to 104 hp. at 2600 rpm and maximum torque from 304 to 334 N m. The cooling system has also undergone a significant change, which received a six-blade fan and a new radiator.

A new oil pump, new crankshaft seals, water pump seals, a closed crankcase ventilation system were introduced into the engine design, the suspension of the power unit was modernized, etc., which increased its operational properties. Structural measures led to a decrease in fuel consumption of the ZIL-157 car by 7 ... 22%, depending on road conditions.

The two-stage transfer case with forced engagement of the front axle compared to the ZIS-151 was produced with wear-resistant gears and new seals, and the driveline was redesigned. The transmission of torque to the rear axle was carried out with the help of a propeller fixed on the middle axle. The drive axles received significantly reinforced axle housings, new hubs and brakes. The number of wheel studs has increased from 6 to 8.

Among the comments on the ZIS-151 model were complaints about the cab: the inconvenience of the driver landing on an unregulated seat, the lack of a heater, its poor dust protection, poor air ventilation, as well as the inefficient operation of shock absorbers and large forces transmitted to the driver's hands from the wheels. All of the above made the work of the driver difficult, turning it, especially in winter, into frank flour. It turned out that eliminating the shortcomings was not so difficult.

The carrying capacity of an all-terrain vehicle on paved roads was limited to 4.5 tons (from 1978 - 5.0 tons), on dirt roads - 2.5 tons. The truck overcame a ford 0.85 m deep, developed a speed of up to 65 km / h, consumed 42 liters of fuel per 100 km. At normal tire pressure (3.0 ... 3.5 kgf / cm2), ZIL-157 performed transport work on roads with a hard unimproved surface.

When the pressure was reduced to 1.5...2.0 kgf/cm2, it easily moved on soft and loose ground, and at 0.75...1.0 kgf/cm2 it overcame sand, soaked soil and unpaved dirt roads after a downpour. Tire pressure of 0.5…0.7 kgf/cm2 made it possible to move freely in a damp meadow, wetlands, and successfully overcome deep snow cover. The total mass of the towed trailer when driving on the highway was 3.6 tons.

For high performance parameters, the car received the Grand Prix at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels. It was exported to dozens of countries around the world. Serial production of models of the ZIL-157 family, which included a dozen different versions, continued at the Moscow Automobile Plant. Likhachev until 1988, that is, for many years after the release of more modern ZIL-131 machines. In 1978–1994 the car was assembled at the Ural Automobile Plant (Novouralsk), at that time a branch of ZIL. In total, 797,934 ZIL-157 vehicles of all modifications were manufactured, which many call "off-road kings".

ZIS-151 (photos posted on the page) was produced at the Stalin Moscow Plant from 1948 to 1958.

Development

The first three-axle prototypes were created in 1946. One version of the truck, the ZIS-151-1, had single wheels and an all-metal cab from the ZIS-150 model. The second sample, ZIS-151-2, was equipped with dual rear wheels and was intended for the transport of multi-ton cargo.

Both cars were supposed to go into large-scale production. Some of the machines were planned to be produced for the national economy, some for the armed forces. Army trucks were equipped with a wheel inflation system.

In the summer of 1947, representatives of the command of the Soviet army adopted the ZIS-151 trucks. The highest ranks of the commissariat and generals of the ground forces gathered at the training ground. An American three-axle Studebaker and two modifications of the ZIS-151 were brought to comparative tests.

Some military experts spoke in favor of single wheels, motivating their choice by the fact that track-to-track track is preferable: fuel consumption is less, cross-country ability is better. The other members of the commission were of the opinion that a truck with double ramps would lift much more cargo, and this is important in the field. As a result, it was decided to supply gable trucks to military formations.

ZIS-151: specifications

Weight and overall parameters:

vehicle length - 6930 mm;
height along the cabin line - 2310 mm;
maximum width - 2320 mm;
height on the top of the tent - 2740 mm;
ground clearance - 260 mm;
wheel base - 3665 + 1120 mm;
gross weight - 10,080 kg;
curb weight - 5880 kg;
load capacity - 4500 kg;
the volume of the double gas tank is 2 x 150 liters.

Power point

The ZIS-151 car was equipped with a ZIS-121 gasoline engine with the following parameters:

working volume of cylinders - 5560 cubic centimeters;
power close to maximum - 92 liters. With. at a speed of 2600 rpm;
number of cylinders - 6;
location - row;
cylinder diameter - 100.6 mm;
piston stroke - 113.3 mm;
compression - 6 kg/cm;
food - carburetor, diffuser;
cooling - water;
fuel - A-66, low-octane;

Transmission

The ZIS-151 truck is equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Gear ratios:

fifth speed - 0.81;
fourth - 1;
third - 1.89;
the second - 3.32;
the first - 6.24;
reverse speed - 6.7.

Transfer case two-stage design:

first gear - 2.44;
the second - 1.44.

Mass production

The first batch of ZIS-151 rolled off the assembly line in April 1948. Cars were produced with a combined cab, assembled from wooden parts and metal sheets. The exterior of the car resembles the contours of the American military truck Studebaker US6.

The ZIS-151 truck was domestically developed with all drive axles. After production reached the planned level, the car began to be widely used in army units. The military was sent modifications that could be useful in the field:

ZIS-151A, equipped with a powerful winch;
ZIS-151B, truck, all-wheel drive tractor;
ZIS-153, an experimental half-track truck.

Refinement

The first years of operation of military trucks showed that the car needed fine-tuning. The dual wheels could not pass through the mud, they wound viscous soil on the treads, and the car stopped. I had to clean the tires with improvised means. Gradually, all trucks were re-equipped, single wheels were installed, and the cross-country ability increased.

In addition, the engine had to be modified, the rated power of 92 horsepower was insufficient. By boring the cylinders and increasing the compression ratio, it was possible to increase the engine power by 12 hp. s, but that was not enough. Engine thrust has become optimal after changing the transmission.

Chassis

The ZIS-151 truck has a frame structure assembled from a 10 mm channel. Riveted joints provide sufficient strength to the frame and spars on which the engine, transmission and transfer case are mounted.

The two rear axles of the truck are completely identical in size, brakes and mounts. The rotation from the engine and transmission is transmitted through the cardan shafts to the differentials, then to the axle shafts, which end in powerful bearing flanges. The wheels are put on the axle shafts and screwed with ten nuts of the futorka type.

The brake system of the 151st is built on the principle of pneumatic pressure. The compressor pumps air into the receiver, and from there compressed air at a pressure of four atmospheres enters the brake cylinders.

The front wheels are mounted on pivot pins with a large margin of safety. are driven by rods that interact with the worm gear of the steering column. There was no power steering at that time, so turning the steering wheel on a heavy military truck was only possible for a physically hardy and trained ordinary soldier.