URAL w/ Cat/Allison combo..

[duncan]

Ive been drooling at a Kraz255 ever since I first saw one. Theyre too wide to get road legal here though The only option is to get it legal in germany and then import, because the government is forced to transfer a valid german title

As for driving paved roads, Ill stick to a Daf XF 105 superspace, thank you

 

[Victor]

bummer, I kinda fancied the GAZ66

Mike

Mike, It is still fun vehicle to drive. I think "FANO-MOMETER" is almost all the way for GAZ66. I was actualy wanted to get GAZ66 and use it for driving to upstate NH for ski trips. If you get - let me know, I will shoot you "TO-DO" list.

I will have to say Victor you probably have much more experience messing with eastern block vehicles than i do. When comparing apples to apples between a Zil/Ural and a military 5 ton I still believe the Russian Block vehicle is superior for battlefield reliability if not overall reliability.

Victor please dont be a stranger here. We have few people here with real world experience in russian designed engines and systems. You will be welcome here. If you have questions about US designed vehicle repair issues you have come to the right place.

Dave

David, thanks for warm "welcome". Sure I can help you guys with any think I can. Just don't forget: It was 20 years ago. I am scary to see the number 20.

although after owning a Mercedes 404 i cannot say anything negative about german engineering. That truck is an absolute masterpiece. With the exception of the throwout bearing its perfect in my opinion

I did not do much with Mercedes/Unimog. I drove Unimog in Middle East for 1 month every year during 5 years. Send dunes, Dead See, Rocks you name it ... I think this is most practical, relieble off road tool.

...exception of the throwout bearing ...

This is why it's called "throw out" bearing.

BTW, If any of guys have PTS, PTS-M or PTS-2 , please do not hesitate to ask any questions. I know this machine to the last bolt. As well most of the T-xx tank engines.

 

[Victor]

Ive been drooling at a Kraz255 ever since I first saw one. Theyre too wide to get road legal here though The only option is to get it legal in germany and then import, because the government is forced to transfer a valid german title

As for driving paved roads, Ill stick to a Daf XF 105 superspace, thank you

I don't know about your state, but in State of NH you can register any think as a construction vehicle. Hm... is it really wider then 102 inches?

 

[duncan]

Well its not a state as much as the fact that I live in the Netherlands. Our max vehicle width is 2.5 metres (2.6 for refridgerated trucks). So thats about 100 inch.

The kraz255 is 2.75 wide, about 110 inches. You cant get a normal title for that. Anything over the max length, width, height or weight needs a special title and special plates, which is very expensive.

You could register it as farm vehicle, but then you'd be limited to 30mph, and not allowed to go on any main roads.

Anyway, welcome on board, as said before we don't get many people with knowledge about russian trucks but there are a lot of people asking about them!

 

[Ol-Paint]

There was (and I presume still is--I last drove past in 2006) a yard full of russian trucks just north of Gulfport, Mississippi, on US-49. Many were painted white and the story I was told was that some guy(s) had bought a bunch of them to fix up and sell to the UN. The deal fell through and that was the end of that. The story wasn't even second-hand, so take it with a grain of salt. I have no idea whether the owners were willing to sell or even if they could sell them--heck, I don't even know who the owners were.

Here's the Google satellite view: gulfport mississippi - Google Maps Street view is available for this location.

The trucks have been sitting there since at least 2001 and I never saw anyone doing any maintenance, although it looked like someone was occasionally removing a couple of parts here and there.

For what it's worth...

Douglas

 

[jbingvtx]

Does anyone know if the camo paint scheme on the Ural is military? It looks really cool

 

[saddamsnightmare]

February 7th, 2010.

Kudos to the comments above regarding Victor and his presence here. It's not too often we get inputs from gents with experience on the other side of the curtain, so to speak. I have experience with the Unimog S, and beyond that darn throw out bearing and the non tilting cab.... it's pretty much indestructible. Ditto for the M35A2, a few weak points, but otherwise a hard living truck for off road use. I think the KAMA trucks were built in a Ford designed plant at Kama River, and they are reminiscent of the late 1950's Fords in some of the styling elements. They are known the world over as off road trucks, and apparently the over engineering has often saved them from an early demise. There are, or were, 4 Russian 6 axle diesel electric locomotives down in Houston or Galveston taken on trade by ADM, who thought they could use them to switch their grain elevators.... They were basically stopped by non compliance with Federal Railway Administration safety regs, but i believe they are still sitting around down there waiting for a home. The were equivanlent to our EMD SD-40's in general size and layout.

Just my two cents worth......


Cheers,

Kyle F.McGrogan

 

[duncan]

Coincidence has it that I just drove past an ural 5557 6x6 today. Cab painted desert tan, the rest of the truck green. On the back of a trailer sadly, and no pictures since I was on my motorbike Same model as on these pictures, same company too. Still 2 for sale, too. Priced sky high, around 10k euro, which means about $14 000

 

[kcimb]

I drill at the Gulfport CBC base. I'll have to check that out.

There was (and I presume still is--I last drove past in 2006) a yard full of russian trucks just north of Gulfport, Mississippi, on US-49. Many were painted white and the story I was told was that some guy(s) had bought a bunch of them to fix up and sell to the UN. The deal fell through and that was the end of that. The story wasn't even second-hand, so take it with a grain of salt. I have no idea whether the owners were willing to sell or even if they could sell them--heck, I don't even know who the owners were.

Here's the Google satellite view: gulfport mississippi - Google Maps Street view is available for this location.

The trucks have been sitting there since at least 2001 and I never saw anyone doing any maintenance, although it looked like someone was occasionally removing a couple of parts here and there.

For what it's worth...

Douglas

 

[caju]

Hi to all, I do just rebuilt a Ural 5557 what is the same as the 4320 but with tipper and wider tires.
So I though it might be helpful to ad my experience.
First I went through absolutely all the systems and part as the truck was 10 years left on a truck dump.
I can say that the engineering is very simple and overbuilt that translate to me reliable.
There are some brake lines very exposed which I already hide them the parts are hard to find if not impossible, but we in Brasil are used to adapt and we did a few. as brake cylinders and hydraulic clutch piston. Yes the clutch and the steering are hydraulic assisted and in a case of failure they are heavy bu will work withoud hydraulic. The hydraulic system are dual so if something fails you have one back up system.
The CTIS is very simple and yes it does leak a bit on the center of the axle, but once the washers were changed it is nice and Im using them a lot.
There are two pictures one is how I found it and the last one how it is now.
Did a trip of 2000km on paved road and nothing but minors like odometer cable broke, one brake did a lot of smoke and after adjust was fine CTIS leaking fixed. All in all. normal after a total rebuilt.
My engine was 3000 km original so spanking new? (after 12 years)
The filters were upgraded to new and uptodate ones.
The truck is in the farm in Mato Grosso with sand and sawmps and is carrying 15 tons of lime for a 240km of really bad roads
I do have problem with the tyres that were old and already exploded 2 that I recaped I would love to have new originals ones but importation of tyres in BRasil is just proibitive by laws and taxes
WEll I did about 50 of this trips and so far so good
We do have the care of greasing after everytrip, checking averything, retighting when needed and cleaning every 3 trips.
What I would do on any other truck of mine in this conditions. The temperature in there is 37 in the shadow and the truck never went over 60C
We did had a deuce and a half with upgraded cumins and unhapply we werent happy for this job.
On thepaved road is a diferent history
My Ural now is my love and next year I will upgrade and do a Camper van to go to PAtagonia with my kids thats pretty much show how much I trust on it.
Of course I would love to have a Cumins and a Allison auto trans . Actually once the engine starts to give up thats the plan. But for my impression it will last about 500.000 km LOL
Well thats it loving my URal

 

[caju]

Hi to all, I do just rebuilt a Ural 5557 what is the same as the 4320 but with tipper and wider tires.
So I though it might be helpful to ad my experience.
First I went through absolutely all the systems and part as the truck was 10 years left on a truck dump.
I can say that the engineering is very simple and overbuilt that translate to me reliable.
There are some brake lines very exposed which I already hide them the parts are hard to find if not impossible, but we in Brasil are used to adapt and we did a few. as brake cylinders and hydraulic clutch piston. Yes the clutch and the steering are hydraulic assisted and in a case of failure they are heavy bu will work withoud hydraulic. The hydraulic system are dual so if something fails you have one back up system.
The CTIS is very simple and yes it does leak a bit on the center of the axle, but once the washers were changed it is nice and Im using them a lot.
There are two pictures one is how I found it and the last one how it is now.
Did a trip of 2000km on paved road and nothing but minors like odometer cable broke, one brake did a lot of smoke and after adjust was fine CTIS leaking fixed. All in all. normal after a total rebuilt.
My engine was 3000 km original so spanking new? (after 12 years)
The filters were upgraded to new and uptodate ones.
The truck is in the farm in Mato Grosso with sand and sawmps and is carrying 15 tons of lime for a 240km of really bad roads
I do have problem with the tyres that were old and already exploded 2 that I recaped I would love to have new originals ones but importation of tyres in BRasil is just proibitive by laws and taxes
WEll I did about 50 of this trips and so far so good
We do have the care of greasing after everytrip, checking averything, retighting when needed and cleaning every 3 trips.
What I would do on any other truck of mine in this conditions. The temperature in there is 37 in the shadow and the truck never went over 60C
We did had a deuce and a half with upgraded cumins and unhapply we werent happy for this job.
On thepaved road is a diferent history
My Ural now is my love and next year I will upgrade and do a Camper van to go to PAtagonia with my kids thats pretty much show how much I trust on it.
Of course I would love to have a Cumins and a Allison auto trans . Actually once the engine starts to give up thats the plan. But for my impression it will last about 500.000 km LOL
Well thats it loving my URal

 

[XanRa]

i have to say i like the russian vehicles myself, they have a better look than our american trucks

 

[BKubu]

Russian vehicles are not as good as USA or German. They are not so reliable. Just because it looks exotic it is not means it is good.

I respectfully disagree. Russian cars have a terrible reputation, but I have never heard anything but great things about their trucks. If anything, I have heard the opposite...that Russian trucks are built so simply that they out perform under tough conditions. Just look at the CTIS on Russian 1960 vintage trucks. It works! However, I have never owned an M939A2 where the CTIS worked. Ural and Kamaz are world-reknowned as top big truck manufacturers.

 

[EZFEED]

Never have a problem with my Jesterka which is a Praga/Tatra mix.
It goes where I want it to, doesn't leak or drip a drop, and starts first lick every time. Don't know where you are coming from Victor.

 

[BKubu]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZdsCVf6iGo&feature=fvw[/media]

I recommend you turn the sound down since the music sucks in my opinion...and I am not positive that this video has not been posted previously (although I don't recall seeing it on this site). This video shows what some Russian trucks can do. Other threads have shown Russian logging trucks.

 

[Finlandia]

8x8 MZKT looks cool, and the tracked crane.

 

[srodocker]

Not many videos of american vehicles going through what russian has. those russian vehicles have lockers?

 

[Finlandia]

Not many videos of american vehicles going through what russian has. those russian vehicles have lockers?

Every UAZ, GAZ 66 and 69, ZIL 157 and 131, KRaZ 255B and 260, Ural 375 DON'T have lockers. Rest models, I dont know. Diff locks are very rare is USSR trucks, but tire inflation system is common.

I have driven only UAZ cabriolet, UAZ van, and GAZ 66.

 

[srodocker]

ahh. with what they go through you would think they would have lockers. thats crazy! thanks for the information

 

[Maverick1701]

man that is a cool video!!! I LOVE seeing trucks play in mud...especially 8x8s

Also Caju are those soft doors on the rig in your avatar? I wonder if they had soft doors for deuces...hmmmm