The long-wheelbase all-wheel drive gasoline UAZ-3159, or, as we used to call it, "Bars", has always been exotic, at first available only to the military and wealthy people. This powerful all-terrain vehicle impresses, first of all, with its impressive dimensions, which have increased after the modification of the UAZ-3151.
The car can accommodate 7 to 9 passengers. The first off-road vehicle UAZ "Bars" with a cylinder engine ZMZ-409 came off the assembly line of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant in 1999. The development of this model was started much earlier, back in 1980.
Basic configuration
The modification did not change the main technical characteristics, mainly the external indicators were updated: UAZ "Bars" became longer and wider, which makes it even more stable and passable in all weather and road conditions. According to drivers, a significant drawback of the all-terrain vehicle is fuel consumption (at least 25 liters per 100 km) even on an asphalt road. High cross-country ability and power steering make the vehicle handling comfortable.
The creators of the car can only be proud of the basic configuration. The interior trim is made of noise-insulating materials, there is a radio tape recorder, a 5-speed manual transmission, a spare wheel on the rear door and sliding door windows. The microclimate is regulated inside the car, and there is a ventilation hatch on the roof.
It is also worth noting from the main options a ball-type hitch, a headlight hydraulic corrector, a fine-modular transfer case and a parking brake drive. Now let's take a closer look at the technical characteristics.
UAZ "Bars". Factory characteristics
It is not in vain that the UAZ-3159 is considered the best classic off-road vehicle of the domestic auto industry for off-road driving, this can be seen by knowing the technical qualities of the car, which we will consider below.
- country of origin - Russia;
- wheel formula - 4x4;
- the body is all-metal, which makes it more durable;
- doors - 5;
- reduction axles made it possible to combine the front spring and rear small leaf spring suspensions with wheel reducers;
- front suspension with gas shock absorbers;
- rear suspension - 4-leaf springs;
- wheelbase - 2760 mm;
- vehicle length is 4550 mm, width - 1890 mm;
- maximum power - 133 horsepower;
- maximum speed - 140 km per hour;
- clearance - 30 cm;
- track - 1600 mm;
- ground clearance - 300 mm;
- vehicle weight - 2.8 tons;
- fuel tanks with a volume of 78 liters;
- gasoline engine;
- engine volume - 2.7 liters;
- the location of the motor - longitudinally, in front;
- rear drive with connected front;
- front and rear drum brakes;
- power - 133 HP at 4400 rpm;
- switching with one lever;
- rear and front axles - driving;
- tires - 245 / 75R16, 225 / 75R16;
- fenders and sidewalls changed for wide track;
- maximum torque - 224 Nm at 4000 rpm;
Description of the bridge on the UAZ-3159
The reserve Bars bridge at the UAZ consists of two halves. This type of bridge is called "Timken", or civil. The gear and portal bridges (popularly military) are also reserve bridges, consisting of two parts.
The military is usually installed on vehicles with high traffic, mainly on vehicles for the military.
These are the technical characteristics of the UAZ "Bars", by the way, they also did a good job on the interior design: the stylish seat upholstery goes well with the entire interior, and the three-seater rear seat has become even more comfortable, even if there are five people sitting there, everyone will be comfortable. Restrained muted tones do not attract attention, but give a solid look. The latest models already include a glove box with illumination and a combination of devices from the VAZ-2107.
Additional equipment
The luggage compartment is spacious, it can accommodate large items and tools. This detail is especially important for fishermen and hunters, who can freely transport their work accessories, tents and various tools.
The trunk door is single-leaf, typical for UAZ vehicles, and with a wiper. Additional characteristics include the following:
- pre-heater on autonomous programmed control;
- aluminum wheels;
- imported tires;
- tinted glass.
The engine has an electronic fuel injection function. All indicators comply with the international Euro-2 standard.
The manufacturers of the Ulyanovsk plant claim that the Bars accelerates in 21 seconds to 100 km with a fuel consumption of 15.5 liters of 92 gasoline.
Owner reviews
According to numerous reviews of UAZ "Bars" drivers, it can be concluded that at the same time, in terms of driving comfort, capacity, cross-country ability and affordable price, it is difficult to find another car that combines these qualities. But many are afraid of fuel consumption.
Often they speak positively about the driver's seat (it has become more spacious and more comfortable), the acoustic system and the super-cross-country ability of the car. Another feature, or rather, the advice of drivers - it's better to get under way from the second speed, because the first is short and hard. Just like the UAZ Patriot, the Bars is the embodiment of the perfect UAZ, earlier one could only dream of or see powerful bumpers, moldings, widened fenders and footpegs on Italian models.
External and internal tuning
Simplicity and conciseness in design have become the highlight of this car, and it has acquired a lot of fans over the years. The interior and body are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable ride.
However, the main feature of an SUV is reliability, along with which not everyone sees a harmonious combination of simplicity in appearance and powerful technical qualities. Therefore, many car owners decide to make tuning for their UAZ "Bars" in order to improve it and make it for themselves.
Adding some details will give the SUV a belligerent look. The exterior tuning of "Bars", as a rule, includes: installation of an expeditionary luggage carrier with a ladder, auxiliary lighting chandeliers, protective grilles for headlights and much more. It should be understood that high-quality tuning will be quite expensive, almost half the cost of the car, depending on what needs to be done. And if you are a real patriot of domestic brands and exclusive cars, then such experiments are for you.
Often, fans of updated old cars and tuning masters install an imported diesel engine on the Bars. In this performance, the car acquires truly exclusive characteristics. However, it should be borne in mind that, having made such a replacement of the engine, you will have to pay not only to the masters from the tuning studio and service station, but also to the traffic police to obtain permits.
The cost of a car on the Russian market
In Russia, the average price for UAZ "Bars" is 250 thousand rubles. Quite a budget option for an SUV with such characteristics. For a tuned all-terrain vehicle in excellent condition, you will have to pay at least 9 thousand dollars.
Interestingly, these cars have always been produced in limited quantities, and now it is not so easy to find them in good condition.
After the production of "Bars" ceased, the Ulyanovsk plant began to produce UAZ "Patriot" in accordance with all the requirements of a modern SUV. But, despite this, the UAZ-3159 wants to own a large category of people, and there are good reasons for this:
- unpretentiousness of fuels and lubricants;
- availability for repair and no shortage of spare parts.
Today you will not surprise anyone with the impressive dimensions and military design of the car, nevertheless, UAZ "Bars" is often purchased by wealthy people as an additional vehicle for hunting, fishing or outdoor activities.
What to look for when buying?
Bars ceased to be produced in 2007 for civilian use. Therefore, when purchasing this machine, take the time to check the documents, which may contain the wrong year of manufacture, later than the stop of production at the factory.
Many unscrupulous car dealers are exhibiting Barças, which are no longer one, as a result of a major overhaul. Native bridges can be replaced with military ones, so you should pay special attention to them and many other nodes.
The off-road vehicle UAZ-3159 "Bars", created on the basis of the UAZ-3151 model, was produced in small series from the end of 1998 to 2005.
When creating the UAZ-3159 model, the engineers sought to improve the driving performance of the original model. The SUV received an increased wheelbase - this made it possible to make the car more stable when driving on asphalt, as well as to place additional seats in the trunk (there were versions for nine and eleven seats).
The front suspension of the car is spring instead of spring in the usual UAZ-3151. In order to preserve off-road qualities and a 30-centimeter ground clearance, the side wheel gears were left at Bars - this, in turn, required an expansion of the track.
Under the hood of the UAZ-3159 SUV, there was a new at that time ZMZ-409 engine with fuel injection, which, with a volume of 2.7 liters, developed 133 liters. with., and instead of a four-speed gearbox, the car received a five-speed transmission.
In the Barsa cabin there is a different steering wheel from the UAZ-3160 model, a modified front panel trim and sliding door vents instead of turning ones. For access to the luggage compartment, a hinged rear door was used instead of a tailgate. Finally, a single lever now served to connect the front axle and engage a downshift.
Leopard is a representative of the feline family. Marketers of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant decided to christen their next creation with the appropriate nickname. This modification has been in production for almost 20 years, from 1999 to the present.
The history and features of the Bars modification
The USSR Ministry of Defense gave instructions to create an all-terrain vehicle with a long base. In theory, it was supposed to accommodate up to 10 personnel and replace the outdated UAZ 469 and GAZ 66. 10 years later, in 1986, a test sample of the UAZ 3172 Wagon appeared before the military. Outwardly, it resembled military off-road vehicles produced in those days by Japanese, European and American manufacturers. Its main feature was its unique technical characteristics. Compared with the serial UAZ 3151, it was distinguished by the best cross-country performance and level of comfort.
The UAZ Wagon remained only a test model and was not put into production due to the collapse of the USSR and perestroika - the Ministry of Defense simply did not have the financial resources to purchase military equipment. The project was not developed and remained only in the documents.
They came in handy after a few years. On the basis of UAZ 3151, the development of an SUV designed for 8 seats began. In the design of the novelty, various developments began to be used that were not implemented at the UAZ Wagon.
Design features
UAZ Bars uses a platform from 3151, but its design is significantly different - the closest to it is modification 3153. The main changes affected the body and interior design. There is a new easy-to-read and functional instrument panel, a steering wheel from the UAZ 3160, a single-lever "transfer case", a handbrake drive as in the 3160. All this increases the efficiency of control and the comfort of being in the cabin.
The car is equipped with a standard audio recorder and acoustics. The door windows are sliding in shape, and a sunroof cut in the roof improves ventilation. The upholstery of the seats is in harmony with the overall trim of the entire interior.
The back sofa can accommodate three people. Thanks to the lengthened base, it is shifted into the interior, creating more comfortable conditions for passengers. Additionally, the manufacturer began to use a new material for noise insulation, double seals appeared on the doors. A swing-type door with the same lock as the side doors is installed at the back. A full-size spare wheel is attached to it, without interfering with free access to the luggage compartment. To clean the glass on the door, a washer is used, supplemented with a screen wiper. For a comfortable fit, the car has steps on the sills, and a step is also provided at the back.
The kit comes with a standard hitch. The rear windows are tinted to acceptable values, the wheel rims are made of aluminum. The car has a wide track, so the wings and sidewalls are wider, there is a hydraulic corrector - all these elements together create a complete and stylish design of the updated SUV.
An independent engine heater can be installed as a separate option.
Interior features
The salon is classic and accommodates five people, including the driver. The rear row of seats can be transformed into individual seats, creating a passage between them into the cargo compartment. The luggage compartment has benches on the sides for two people, which can be reclined if necessary. In general, the interior is simple - this car was created primarily for off-road conditions. Even the smallest configurations of foreign SUVs of the same class are an order of magnitude better in terms of comfort than the UAZ 3159, which is sold exclusively in the Lux configuration.
One of the advantages of this car is the good build quality. Bars is assembled not on the factory conveyor, but in the additional PAMS workshop, where the production of small batches is established. The appearance of the UAZ 3159 is recognizable and simple, but it can always be supplemented with tuning. This car is chosen by true fans of SUVs, for whom power and reliability are preferable to comfort, but there is no financial means to buy and maintain a foreign car, for example, a Range Rover SUV.
Tuning is available from the factory as an option. The list includes alloy wheels, tinting, preheater and better tires. The owners' imagination is limitless, and the cost of the car can increase by 500 thousand rubles or more. If you wish, you can order a partially armored body - the price of such a Bars will be much higher. The buyer is optionally available and elements of external tuning - installation of an expedition roof rack with a ladder, additional lighting equipment from several spotlights on the roof, a modified sunroof, grilles for headlights.
On the secondary market there are UAZ 3159 cars with salons from foreign premium cars, with disc brakes in a circle, a clutch from a foreign car, a hydraulic power steering, a winch and many other equipment.
Depending on the complexity and type of tuning, the cost of a car can double or triple. For that kind of money, it is possible to buy the best foreign-made cross-country vehicle in terms of equipment and reliability. But for connoisseurs of the brand and fans of the domestic car industry, UAZ Bars is becoming the best option, regardless of the price.
Operational characteristics of UAZ 3159
The car has a traditional all-metal body with five doors. Thanks to the lengthened base, the Bars is 47 cm longer than the standard UAZ. The width remains the same, although the track width has become larger and is 1 m 60 cm, which is 15.5 cm more than that of the UAZ 3151. Thanks to this, the SUV is equipped with wheel arch extensions and inflated fenders.
The suspension was changed slightly, but this allowed to increase the ground clearance to 300 mm. This is the legacy of the prototype UAZ Wagon, which could move along the track created by trucks.
A long wheelbase also implies an increased wheelbase - now the distance between the wheels is not 2380 mm, but 2760 mm, which did not affect the smoothness of the ride for the worse. In the suspension, the changes concerned the renewal of the springs of the front shock absorbers and the axle gears, which made it possible to increase the ground clearance. This was previously seen on the army modifications of the UAZ. The clearance of the Barca leaves far behind the ground clearance of foreign SUVs - only the American Hummer is higher.
The power plant's power is 133 horsepower, the maximum speed is 140 km / h, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h will take 21 seconds. Fuel consumption is traditionally high - in the combined cycle it is at least 16 liters per 100 km of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 92. In fact, on average, judging by the reviews, UAZ Bars "eats" about 25 liters with a carrying capacity of one ton, which is still not justifies such an "appetite".
The standard version 3159 is equipped with a small-module transfer case with a single-lever shift mechanism, power steering and a five-speed gearbox.
Main technical characteristics
One of the main features of this car is located under the hood - it is a 16-valve power unit ZMZ-409 with electronic ignition and fuel injection, which meets all Euro-2 standards and norms. The engine is equipped with two camshafts and a cast iron alloy cylinder block. Among the advantages of Barça is the fact that it is a completely commercial project, developed by order of the Ministry of Defense.
The five-speed gearbox has a high gear ratio on the axles. One lever is used to connect the front axle and downshift. The design of the bridges has been seriously improved - these are bridges with a U-shaped gearbox, which have longer shapes and new axle shafts. With their help, it was possible to lengthen the wheelbase and increase the ground clearance to 30 cm. The installation of bridges of this type is not due to an increase in off-road qualities, but to the presence of spring struts in front, where gas shock absorbers are used.
Thanks to this design, it was possible to increase the comfort of movement and increase controllability. The steering has become sharper, as the lateral and longitudinal links significantly limit the free wheel travel at the front. The rear suspension has hardly changed - there are 4 springs on each side, but judging by the reviews, this design is too rigid, so many owners replace it with a more comfortable three-spring suspension.
Tuning UAZ "Bars"
I'm not crazy to walk 20 km.
Why 20 and why actually go? Indeed, even in the factory name - "Bars" - one can feel the strength. The preparation is a clear discrepancy with the upcoming route. That is, not the maximum coverage. What, one wonders, can the swamps and rivulets frozen from the first ringing frosts be able to do with 385-mm ground clearance and Bogger? Unless to offer off-road drift. There is also some kind of resource support - UAZ is only six years old, only 36 thousand on the odometer. It's too early to fall apart from old age.
But the phrase is like a seal. Moreover, it was pronounced by the wise off-road experience by Andrey Nikonov, known in the "Protector" club by the call sign "Nadezhda". Hope is our earthly compass? Well, I do not! We rely on our own arsenal, and the virtual arrow of the presented navigation device, like a GPS, draws a specific "track" - to the port of Baikal.
The offer was nowhere more tempting. How long can you iron the former Sandbox and the current Kochkodrom within the city, when Petr Mekhonoshin (aka Extreme, and according to some colleagues, even Extremist) entices with a much more complete test drive. One crew, two, the whole day along the places of military protector glory - 60 km to the port of Baikal, then by ferry to Listvyanka and from there to Irkutsk. Just a day ...
The car barely left the tuning conveyor (otherwise, "from the pen" of the Angarsk monster builder Andrey Tsygankov), but despite its "youth upgrade", it had already been tested, to which it responded with a burnt out processor (due to the closed "snot" of the alarm, which are in no way related to preparation and off-road in general), a folded semi-axle (which ordered a long life "thanks to" a number of factors) and a burnt clutch. The last event is especially noteworthy, because, which took place just a week and a half before the trip and exactly in those places that we were to visit, it became the leitmotif of our short, as it seemed then, adventure. The owner of “Bars” noted that of the four SUVs he didn’t sit with bridges in “liquid” ruts, and he was the only one who was not swan. At the same time, I was forced to conclude - of the same machines, only the absolutely standard Niva escaped the fate of being broken. And his UAZ had to be left in the forest, followed by evacuation and installation of branded Luk parts. Here's an introduction - with the emphasis needed in the future.
Tuning UAZ "Bars": Pivotal force of circumstances
“Flooded swampy meadows” are now a solid white plain, whose treacherous relief is noticeably smoothed by the recently fallen snow. Memorable places! Even for me, who has been here much less often than the Protector club. Here, on the gate, dropping his BJ43 between the logs absorbed by the swamp, his owner manually wound the cable on the winch drum. And there, a little further, I and the owner of the first UAZ prepared in the club in the morning hammered nails into the clutch - in order to get under way on the starter with a "hammered" gear and keep at least some mobility for a hundred meters. Yes, there were times. The 32-inch wheel then seemed like the height of off-road perfection, and no one naturally thought about a global motor-suspension upgrade, taking the jeep, in fact, what it is.
Now, ramming the rounded intersection with the Bogger, one thinks that in five years the Irkutsk-port Baikal raid has turned from a very extreme test into a weekend route. We got to the village located on the shore of the lake and on jeeps of not the most uncompromising training, and almost on the standard, and with one crew, and even not only in winter. True, the old Japanese "shlyakh" almost always threw up problems that could only be solved collectively. We have no room for error ...
We have to admit that this position of the front wheel is often adjacent to the acceptance by the owner of the car of the figure fixed in the picture.
The seeming absolute lifelessness of the local spaces is deceiving. Rangers hid in the depths of the forest, reproducing the population of wild boars here. Soon there will be lumberjacks here, and they will surely, like last year, level the already flat winter pavements with a "goose". However, this is where the signs of life end. And what to do there, where the jaeger cordon prohibits any activity, and only the Protector is allowed to enter the part of the national park. It’s so easy not to get there for “road” reasons. But there are roads, so to speak. The most ambush areas, where the dead swamp and there is nothing to catch on with a winch cable, are correctly covered with log gates. These are the affairs of bygone days. 60 years ago, the direction to the port of Baikal was laid by Japanese prisoners of war who worked until 1948, when the survivors were repatriated to their homeland. Unlike Primorye, where there were tens of thousands of them, only a few hundred were brought here, and if the industry of the Far East in many respects even depended on qualified Japanese personnel, then in the Baikal region there was obviously a real Gulag for them. They pulled the railway track Irkutsk-Slyudyanka, were engaged in logging and now they were laying gats, leaving an almost erased trace about themselves on the last third of the way to the village - a few crowns of barracks.
Gati "Barsu" is given not without difficulty, but easier than its orthodox relatives. Affected by the elongated base and spring front. Although the rear throws up noticeably, which, in my opinion, is the fault of the Plaza shock absorbers, from which I want them to more intensively "beat off" the bridge to the surface. It seems that, taking into account each wheel weighing half a centner, something thick tube is needed here.
Well, and the steering, alas, cannot be radically corrected. The "long" steering wheel makes you literally wind up, even though the UAZ floats in shallow snow, cleaner than a car on a rally stage. Moreover, being "overpowered", the steering wheel is also devoid of reactive action. Perhaps a damper would somehow save the situation.
At a glance - the CV joint is torn. In fact, the kingpin is cut off. This changes the situation only in monetary terms.
But this is not a reason to stigmatize the car. Defeating the defective Ulyanovsk genetics is possible only if all the main components and assemblies are replaced with imported ones. As you understand, it will no longer be a UAZ. However, some work is underway at the plant. For example, the injection ZMZ-409, which had time to suffer in terms of electronics, is, in principle, a good engine. Let's leave aside his service attachment and rejection of "water procedures". How can we now get away from modern trends. In terms of characteristics, the Trans-Volga installation is a worthy descendant of its archaic ancestors. Not high-torque on a raised lane (how many times have we tested it while testing Patriots), it transforms on a "lower", allowing you to easily operate the gear lever and select the desired gear ratios. In general, it is paradoxical that the engine, which is not large in volume and power, pulls well a two-ton SUV, weighted with tens of kilograms of protective and other iron. Even almost one meter long wheels are by no means a reason to draw negative conclusions. The unit spins them without tension, allowing them to accelerate both in the ascent and in deep snow that sometimes falls.
It is not clear why all the brakes with such a motor were drum brakes. The worst combination could be if they were absent altogether. This, however, is what happens after each swamp ford. Now there are disc mechanisms on each wheel. Not to say that with them "Bars" looks like a rally car, but the positiveness of the braking dynamics is obvious.
An accurate assessment of the cross-country ability of SUVs of this level of training is always a thankless task. Bridges are crossed as if they have very conditional connections with the frame. The geometry, even in spite of the 300-mm increase in the length of the base, due to the diameter of the wheels and the correct location of the external "body kit", is close to tracked vehicles. The lift of the body, and not the suspension, in most cases allows you not to be afraid of roll. Finally, such a ground clearance makes it possible to move confidently along the load tracks. Moreover, a rare all-wheel drive truck can "trample" such a depth, which would be enough for landing on gearbox housings.
Only in one place did the Bars collapse and seemed to strike a fluffy surface with bridges. Surely I would have gone quietly further, but even the Bogger, whose tread pattern is similar to tracked tracks, also obviously has limitations. Especially in these rapidly slippery environments. In this case, the off-road-arsenal of the car provides two forced cross-wheel locks. The rear, by the way, once already helped out, allowing to leave at least a 4x3 wheel arrangement with a folded axle shaft. They have helped now. Heavily shifting the wheels and driving the "temperature" arrow into a zone close to dangerous (it must be admitted that ZMZ-409 does not like intense work at speed, responding to it with a treacherous park from under the hood; moreover, it was noticed behind him earlier, on other cars; the reason is the lack of tightness of the cooling system or its structural subtleties?), UAZ crawled out onto a flat surface.
Probably, this moment could be the most dramatic and extreme. Of course, we still pushed through the ice, getting to the much-desired mud, and appreciated the outer frame, with difficulty making our way through the narrow taiga "gates". As it turned out later, the real extreme was waiting for us in another and was not directly related to the greenhouse off-road at this time of the year.
Tuning UAZ "Bars": Mysticism and technology
Coincidence! The diameter and mass of the "rubber", perhaps the driving style, not too hard "poke" with the inverted wheel into a birch tree and, of course, constructiveness and quality. In fact, we drove through everything that could lead to a "lethal" outcome. UAZ, having just plowed a small rut, got out to a "dry" place and suddenly, somehow hopelessly breaking the right front wheel, the donkey. There was no need to look under the bottom to understand - then the walk begins on foot, leaving no chances to get on the last of three ferries a day and providing endless opportunities for thought.
Access to the port "Baikal" is closed
You can, of course, justify everything with a mystical factor. After all, only a few hundred meters did not reach the notorious Japanese barracks. After all, it was here on the previous trip on the road to the Bars village that he “took off his shoes”, and on the way back he froze with a burnt clutch, forcing him to throw himself in the forest. Here, in general, there is some kind of atmosphere of its own, where the off-road practically ends, and the last 15 km to the port you drive almost on a level, but at the limit of your own strength and resource capabilities of the car. Hand, in general, file, but such races can last from here for days.
And what is the breakdown, and what is the reason? The analytical work in the open air under the crunch of snow did not yield any results. At first glance, the CV joint collapsed, which would be quite logical, since the constant velocity joints do not like even soft blows from inverted wheels. But with UAZs this happened for the first time in my memory. With a similar wheel mass, breakage of pivots and twisting of short axle shafts are more characteristic. The usual, so to speak, technical situation.
External tuning of UAZ "Bars" is made for a solid five
We did not yet know that the assumptions true about the kingpin would stumble over a number of fatal circumstances. And catching the ferry that had already departed to Listvyanka early in the morning (this "shalanda" goes in an intricate arc and throws it up like a minibus, you just need to simphorize the headlamp with a Morse code, and then quickly give up your own "mooring lines", jumping over a low side), we thought that the next day it would be possible analyze the consequences in a calm garage environment.
The evacuation dragged on for exactly a week, and Peter trampled the track, returning twice to his "wounded beast." That's certainly a mystic, because, having stood on a new steering knuckle, "Bars" drove only insignificant hundreds of meters, after which it separated the Panhard rod bracket from the frame, rolled out to the side of the bridge and punched the engine oil pan with a cardan. Again to Irkutsk, since the lakeside civilization in the form of the port of Baikal and Listvyanka does not imply the presence of car dealerships, which makes it impossible to get hold of at least engine oil and cold welding.
There was not even a welding machine in the port, but there were good people on the "bump" who were taken as a safety net, but in the end took on the brunt of the evacuation. Periodically rolling out the bridge and having used up all the oil due to the second punctured pallet, with chopiks in the "lacerated wounds", the UAZ finally brought its owner to the ferry. Just a week ...
But the final "diagnosis" is still far away. Easily removable, but such "intrusive" problems suggest an eternal thought in jeep circles: maybe it's better to swan. And well it, this huge clearance. In statics with a torn off pivot, it is still difficult to assess its charms.
Tuning UAZ "Bars": Much determines quality
There is only a moment, says the famous song. In our case, this is it. Notice how the wheel turned up in preparation to break away. After a moment ... Eh, the past was good. All the same, we drove (albeit harshly), but did not go. The future is in a difficult (at least for the author, whose life is spent at a computer desk), a pedestrian crossing, which finally ended in a hut "three by four" with a stove and such a long-awaited crawl (no other way) into sleeping bag.
We asked Andrei Tsygankov to comment on our work, on whose account there are more than a dozen prepared jeeps, including UAZs.
The quality of the materials doesn't just leave a lot to be desired. It's terrible. Let's say, earlier this was the case with the "Chinese". Now the auto industry from the Celestial Empire does not allow such a thing. At UAZ, this is in the order of things, or at least it was so at the beginning of this decade. You disassemble, for example, a bridge and you are amazed why such a giant cannot simply track the quality of the metal. Even in the little things! Here are the trunnion nuts and washers - soft as plasticine, and, in essence, disposable. To put such a second time is to pass a sentence. Chew and spit it out! Not necessarily in harsh off-road conditions - worse, in a normal road environment. What kind of tuning is there - you need to start by looking for more or less good, hardened, spare parts.
Reliability also depends on the design safety margin, which is absent in UAZ vehicles. I know cases when the same "fungi" or short lower axle shafts were cut off with wheels with a diameter of 31 inches, and this is almost a standard size, "aggravated", however, by a developed mud protector. What can we say about larger tires and about the load on all other elements of the transmission and chassis - pivots, CV joints - which increases with increasing diameter and weight. I think we need to find a balance between the desired ground clearance, which directly depends on the wheel "scale", and reliability.
Such features of the UAZ "organism" cannot but leave an imprint on the piloting style. I think that it needs to be changed, for example, replacing from some "Japanese" to a domestic SUV. After all, UAZ does not tolerate shocks and is very sensitive to frictional bonds in the contact patch of the wheel with the coating. Accordingly, it is necessary to operate with traction in difficult conditions with surgical precision. Then, having previously taken care of high-quality components and "having agreed" with yourself about the tire size, you can hope that the car will start moving. Albeit on a winch, and with the help of a hi-jack. But without the shot off "limbs".
Tuning UAZ "Bars": Search work
No matter how simple the process of preparing the UAZ, worked out to the nuances, may seem, there is a place in it for creative search, the result of which can be a revision of entrenched trends. Angarsk master Andrey Tsygankov did just that, getting a kind of car at the exit. But first I must say about buying it.
UAZ "Bars", or according to the factory specification, UAZ-3159 is a real exclusive. For a year and a half of searches in the Irkutsk region, not a single specimen was found "for sale". As a result, the St. Petersburg version was chosen from a small Internet offer, bought in April of this year and immediately getting up for tuning.
And why, in fact, "Bars"? In it, the future owner was conquered by the elongated base, which determines the interior space, the wider track, which determines the stability better than that of conventional UAZs. And, of course, military axles and front spring suspension. Prices, by the way, display such exclusivity like nothing else. With the same condition, we had to meet cars of 2003 for 300 thousand and 2002 for 180. The received sample cost a minimum, in good condition and with an interesting bonus - the previous owner said that instead of a "handout" with a ratio of 1.45 he put a full-fledged off- road aggregate 2: 1.
Since the main task was to install wheels with dimensions 38.5x15-15, it had to be solved in an unusual way. The creator proposed to compensate the future height of the car and, accordingly, the tendency to roll only with a body lift. The frame, engine and box with "transfer case" remained at the same level relative to the axles, which determined a lower increase in the center of gravity in comparison with the suspension lift. Along the way, such a decision eliminated the need to think about the corners of the cardan crosspieces, about the castor and lubrication of the gearboxes in the cases turned towards the shafts. Everything below the frame is standard. And above, between it and the body - not the usual spacers, but a 10-cm channel. Andrei Tsygankov decided that in this way it is possible to exclude the operation of the lift elements for rupture, making the shear resistance greater. True, after that, to place the wheels in the arches, it was still necessary to traditionally cut the body around the perimeter, remove the tanks from under the thresholds (inserting one container from the Land Cruiser closer to the rear overhang) and significantly strengthen the latter.
The thresholds became a kind of foundation - to them, and not to the frame, the entire removable outer frame was tied, designed to protect the body from rigid contacts. Interesting solutions include an exhaust system created almost from scratch, which fits between the frame and the body and is now qualitatively hidden from all external influences. I must say that, apart from the bridges, the bottom of the Barça has nothing to damage. More precisely, of course, there is, but due to the used wheel diameter it does not even need protection.
The installation of disc brakes required a certain amount of money and labor. Alas, such a thing as unification is unknown to UAZ. Okay, I had to dial discs with calipers and pads. How else? But why is it necessary to change hoses and switch to hubs from civilian bridges? Within the framework of the main, albeit factory orientation, such an approach is a sheer waste of exceptional and innate maintainability.
But be that as it may, but from the point of view of cross-country ability, this UAZ is a creation in all senses of self-sufficient. Huge ground clearance, significant wheel travel, two forced locks and a pair of winches in case of emergency. Well, isn't it ideal? Unfortunately, it should be noted that this entire configuration may well turn out to be unviable, or, at least, used with severe restrictions. However, here it is better to listen to the creator.
