GAZ-63 is a two-axle truck, which was produced in 1948. It was a kind of popular national and economic vehicle GAZ-51, and was also able to replace the pre-war three-axle vehicle GAZ-AAA.

The model was used by military chauffeurs in good standing, because it was adapted to the difficult military conditions of operation. Also, this car served as a standard platform for the BTR-40. The whole the lineup GAS.

Car history

The design of the car started back in 1938. The well-known "lorries" are already morally and technically outdated and needed to be replaced. Because of this, as soon as the spring of 1938 came, the design staff in Gorky began to develop new truck, and to be more specific, a whole family of trucks with increased cross-country ability, which could be operated in difficult road conditions.

The debut prototypes of the 63rd model were created before the Great Patriotic War in 1939 and 1940, but began to be mass-produced in 1948. She was the most massive all-wheel drive vehicle of the Soviet Army, as well as the national economy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the period 1950-1960s. In this article, you can find the dimensions of the car, find out information about the engine.

As an experimental model, a trial version was built in 1939 and put into testing. Since during the development of a fresh car, the main attention was focused on its all-terrain properties, the off-road vehicle did not differ in its unique external properties.

As a cockpit, the prototype had an already available version of the lorry. However, this was not so important, because the movement of the car was original. The 63rd model became the debut truck with increased cross-country ability, where there was a 4x4 drive and single tire tires.

Simultaneously with the development of an off-road version of the Gorky Automobile Plant, work began on the design of a civilian model of the GAZ-11-51 truck (as after a while it became GAZ-51). It is noteworthy that many parts of the Lawn-63 were unified with it.

Thanks to this, the main units became similar, and it was possible to make the production of new machines much cheaper, the operation was simplified, and what is more important, a common conveyor was used for their production. Some design developments and technical solutions that were used on the 51st and 63rd models were revolutionary for those years.

For example, when compared with pre-war cars, new cars had a completely different layout - the power unit was installed above the front axle, which made it possible to increase the carrying capacity of the car, while reducing their length. The braking system has acquired hydraulic mechanisms.

The GAZ-63 truck was very similar to the American version of the trucks, even despite the design changes.

Despite the successful implementation of all tests and recommendations for release, it was not possible to set up their production at the beginning of the 1940s - the Great Patriotic War that began was to blame. Work on the design of successful machines was continued in 1943, after the Russian troops drove the Germans to the west.

It is worth admitting that by that time only indexes remained from the car designed in the pre-war period - wartime made its own adjustments, and a few years later, scientific and technical advances went ahead. Moreover, the design staff of the automobile plant was able to "get to know better" with trucks that have four-wheel drive which were made in America.

They were Studabeker and Chevrolet. In wartime, they were produced under Lend-Lease here, at the Gorky Automobile Plant. It is clear that the engineering staff simply could not pass up such a chance to take some parts of the constructive developments from their American colleagues. But the main units were designed only by Russians, or they were improved from those already present.

An experimental batch of brand new all-terrain trucks, which were ready for various tests, were manufactured in 1945, after the cars were approved by the country's leadership in the person of Stalin and the party leaders. The conveyor release of the 63rd Lawn took place only in the fall of 1948, which is a couple of years later than the GAZ-51.

This all-terrain vehicle with increased technical characteristics and excellent cross-country ability was able to adequately appreciate the Soviet Army. GAZ-63 could not be afraid of viscous soil, ford, the depth of which reached 80 cm, almost half-meter loose snow cover, 70-centimeter ditches. The model was actively used to transport army personnel, as a tug of military weapons and to install various combat installations.

The car was very good helper, since he was not afraid of off-road conditions and could transport, in addition to his own cargo, trailers, the mass of which reached 2 tons.

The national economy of the "sixty-third" model also found its own application, but the lawn was used not so often, and to a greater extent in the countryside. When the war ended, the number of trucks was very small, especially in some remote place, and the need for freight transportation was simply catastrophic, so considerable overloads were considered normal.

It is clear that few could doubt the reliability of the design of the machines, however, with an increase in the load, the cross-country ability of the machines greatly decreased, for which, in general, the GAZ-63 was created. Moreover, the parts began to wear out more, and it was difficult to carry out timely maintenance of machines for rural needs, as it was done in the army.

The all-wheel drive system on rural off-road was very timely, but the advantages of the model with only slopes raised many questions. Some drivers themselves modernized the car, and after a while, the plant began to produce modifications with paired rear wheels. Also, one of the shortcomings was the lack of stability of the truck.

The four-wheel drive version of the Lawn had a narrow track and a high body (the ground clearance was 270 millimeters), which is why drivers could often "lay" the car on its side when entering a turn at an increased speed.

Then in 1968 the model gave way to a new car - GAZ-66. The percentage of standardization of the car with the well-known GAZ-51 was 80%. The total circulation of the cars produced was 474,464 copies.

Appearance

The cab of the new 1943 Lawn was almost identical to the American US-6 trucks. There was also a shortened hood, rectangular L-shaped fenders, a protective grille in front of the headlights. Many people might even often confuse the two machines.

After a while, they presented the final variation, which was performed in a similarity to the cockpit of the 51st model, which had rounded fenders and massive round headlights mounted in them. But, despite the changed appearance, the improved Soviet cabin was still similar to the prototype from America.

Initially, the cabin of Lawn 63 was made of wood, because in the USSR there was a noticeable shortage of sheet metal. Only in 1950 the cabin was combined - wood and metal, where only the doors were made of wood. Only 6 years later, they began to make an all-metal cabin, because only then did the national economy recover a little from the destruction caused by the war.

Body

The military vehicle of the 63rd model was equipped with a wooden universal body, which had high lattice side walls and a front wall. Inside there are folding benches of the longitudinal type. The tailgate was made with the possibility of opening. In the side walls there were special sockets in which it was possible to install arcs for the subsequent tension of the awning.

It is clear that few people experienced the pleasure of driving this "hard" car, however, as they say, driving is much better than walking, especially for a soldier. According to the passport, the car could take about 1,500 kilograms on a dirt road. The GAZ-63A and GAZ-63P modifications already had 2,500 kilograms. Also, GAZ-63 towed trailers, the mass of which did not exceed 2,000 kg, which significantly increased its functionality.

Based on the requirements of the military leadership, the design staff increased the capacity of the fuel tanks. As a result, the main ninety-liter tank had an additional 105-liter one, which made it possible to bring the fuel volume up to 780 kilometers at full load.

Cabin interior

The cabin was double. There was not much free space inside the car, and they began to install the heater only after 4 years, when they began to mass produce the car. The driver's seat did not have any adjustments and was simple enough, however, not rigid.

But what else can you demand from an army SUV of this year of manufacture. After all, then they thought little about comfort, the main thing was to make a technically well-equipped car, and so that it could pass almost everywhere, as far as off-road conditions are concerned. Many models had an iron dashboard, on which a three-spoke large steering wheel could be found on the left.

Behind him was the dashboard, on which big circle there was a speedometer numbered to the 100 km / h mark. On the far left was the fuel level gauge, and below it was the oil level gauge.

There is a gauge to the right of the speedometer temperature regime water and ammeter. There was even a place for a glove compartment where you could put all the necessary things. The windshield was split in two.

Specifications

Power unit

As a motor, an engine from the 51st Lawn was installed on a Soviet car. It was a six-cylinder carburetor lower valve. Its volume was 3.5 liters, and it produced up to 70 horsepower. The power unit received liquid cooling. Maximum speed at the same time it was 65 km / h.

Transmission

Synchronized this power unit together with a mechanical four-speed gearbox. The clutch was single-disc dry. The transfer case has a couple of stages and a range multiplier, which was equipped not only with a reduction, but also with a direct speed in order to reduce fuel consumption on highways.

Suspension

The front and rear suspension has longitudinal semi-elliptical springs, double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers.

Brake system

It is represented by a working and parking system... The working system is represented by a shoe type on all hydraulically driven wheels. The parking one is represented by a shoe type for a transmission with a mechanical drive.

Steering

The steering device has a globoidal worm mechanism with a two-ridge roller.

Specifications

Manufacturer	GAS
Years of production	1948-1968
Class	cargo
Layout	front-engine all-wheel drive
Wheel formula	4x4
Engine	GAZ-51
Type of	Petrol
Volume	3 485 cm³
Maximum power	70 hp at 2800 rpm
Maximum torque	201 Nm at 1500 rpm
Configuration	in-line, 6-cylinder.
Cylinders	6
Valves	12
Cylinder diameter	82 mm
Piston stroke	110 mm
Compression ratio	6,2
Supply system	Carburetor
Cooling	liquid
Cycle (number of measures):	4
The order of the cylinders	1-5-3-6-2-4
Transmission	mechanical 4-speed The transfer case is two-stage. Gear ratios: 1 transfer - 1.963; 2nd gear - 1.00. The main gear is single, the gear ratio is 7.6.
Length	5525 mm
Width	2200 mm
Height	2250 mm (in the cabin)
Clearance	270 mm
Wheelbase	3300 mm
Back track	1600 mm
Front track	1590 mm
Weight	3200 kg
Full mass	5350 kg

Price

The cost of the Soviet off-road truck GAZ-63 is not high. The price tag starts from 60,000 to 450,000 rubles. The price will depend on the year of manufacture, on the condition and availability of native spare parts and components.

Some modifications came with a powerful winch, which allowed the car to drive out of hard-to-reach areas, and also helped to get out of the ditch, since sometimes the cars turned over when passing at cornering speed.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the car

• Good cross-country ability;
• Robust machine construction;
• Good height ground clearance;
• Many parts are unified with other models;
• Relatively low price of a car;
• Small size;
• Possibility of transporting small trailers;
• All-wheel drive system;
• Good cross-country ability;
• There are different modifications;
• Some modifications received a rather powerful winch.

Cons of the car

• Outdated cab;
• Not very comfortable seats, devoid of various adjustments;
• Non-adjustable steering column;
• Poor visibility due to the long bonnet;
• The first models did not even have a heater;
• Weak power of the power unit;
• There is little space in the cab;
• Lack of hydraulic power steering and braking systems;
• Low carrying capacity;
• Frequent overturning of the car when entering a turn at high speed;
• Production year.

Summing up

The car has become an indispensable assistant during military operations and also in agriculture. He did not have large dimensions, so he could move mobile even in urban areas. Since there were no roads as such in those years, and there was no time and raw materials, because the world was on the verge of war, the car felt great on the road.

Thanks in part to the high ground clearance, AWD system and good off-road tires. The car, in addition to transporting people or cargo, could transport trailers, the mass of which did not exceed 2,000 kilograms.

Everything inside the cabin is very simple and there is not even a hint of comfort, which in those days, in principle, was not needed. The first models lacked a heater, hydraulic power steering and braking system. The power unit was not very powerful, but it performed its task excellently.

Some modifications even had a winch that could pull the car out of the ditch, or if the truck got stuck. Despite the noticeable similarity with the American truck, the workers of the Gorky Automobile Plant did a good job, making it an indispensable assistant for the army and agricultural needs.

GAZ - history of car production

GAZ-63 photo

Test Drive

Video review

all-auto.org

specifications, photos and reviews :: SYL.ru

Any truck- the most complex technical product of the work of a whole team of engineers, always striving to develop something new and bring their brainchild to a higher technical level. One of these machines, which have their own rich history, is the GAZ-63, the technical characteristics of which will be discussed in detail in this article.

Historical reference

The development of this truck began in the pre-war period, in 1938. In the era of World War II, American trucks were assembled at the Gorky Automobile Plant on the basis of various parts supplied from the United States, but the design domestic car increased cross-country ability did not stop for a minute. And in February 1943, the designer Lipgart reported to Stalin about the creation of the all-wheel drive car GAZ-63. After this meeting, the engineer received the go-ahead from the state leadership for the post-war production of the machine.

Sample 1943

GAZ-63, the photo of which is given below, was assembled in the fall of 1943 and had significant differences from its pre-war counterpart. In particular, it was equipped with L-shaped welded fenders, protective grilles on the headlights and a cab made in accordance with the American counterparts of 1942, supplied under Lend-Lease.

The carburetor-type engine had six cylinders and was liquid-cooled with pre-heater... In order to quickly adapt the motor to changes in external load indicators, the inlet and outlet channels were artificially "strangled". The maximum amount of power was 70 horsepower. The number of revolutions at the same time reached 2800 revolutions per minute.

In addition, the developers have moved the front axle housing to the left of the center. Parts made by Bendix-Weiss were used as CV joints.

Distinctive feature

GAZ-63 in its first models had quite wide tires(9.75 to 18 inches) as well as single wheels rear axle, having exactly the same track as their front "brothers". This was done so that when the car was driving on snow, mud, sand, absolutely all wheels would follow one another in one track, without experiencing strong resistance to their rolling on the underlying surface due to the difference in track width. Somewhat later on trials four-wheel drive vehicles GAZ-63 was able to show "record indicators of its cross-country ability" (a quote based on the report of military experts) and was even involved as a tractor for towing the ZiS-151 stuck in the mud. These capabilities of the machine were highly appreciated.

Brake system and clutch

The GAZ-63 car was equipped with a single-disk dry clutch. A hydraulically driven shoe unit was used as a service brake for all wheels. The parking brake was made of a drum type and had a mechanical drive.

On all wheels, the suspension was dependent and was installed on semi-elliptical springs. At the same time, the front suspension was equipped with double-sided hydraulic shock absorbers. The steering mechanism included a two-comb roller and a globoid worm.

Transfer case

This unit was installed on the machine in such a way that the driveshafts with which it was connected to the truck axles were of the same length. Also, the box was coupled with a demultiplier, with the help of which there was a very significant expansion of the range of tractive effort applied to the drive wheels - from 6.4 to 12.5.

It is worth noting that the demultiplier, in addition to the downshift, also had a direct transmission. This made it possible to reduce mechanical losses in the entire transmission and, accordingly, fuel consumption while driving on good quality roads. The front wheel drive, if necessary, could be turned off for the required period of time.

Body

The military GAZ-63 was equipped with a wooden universal body, which had high lattice side walls and a front wall. Inside it were hinged longitudinal benches. The tailgate was also made opening. The side walls had special sockets in which it was possible to install arcs for pulling the awning.

Based on the requirements of the military leadership, the designers increased the capacity of the fuel tanks. A 105-liter tank was added to the main 90-liter tank, bringing the fuel volume to 780 kilometers at full load.

Start of serial production

Comprehensive tests of the GAZ-63, the characteristics of which underwent some changes in the process of repeated modifications, began in 1945. And already in September 1948, the process of mass assembly of the car began, which became the first representative of domestic truck models with single-sided rear wheels. Already in 1949, six workers of the plant were awarded the Stalin Prize for their creation.

Modifications

GAZ-63 (photo of the car allows you to evaluate its appearance) had its own modification 63A. This car had an elongated frame, at the front end of which an electric winch or generator was installed, driven by a propeller shaft connected, in turn, to the transmission. The winch, on the other hand, had a 65-meter cable and had a tractive working force of 4,500 kilograms.

Scope of application

GAZ-63 of Russia was necessary for the needs of not only our army, but also the armed forces of countries friendly to our state. The car was exported to Finland, Asia, Africa, the Middle East. The truck was also produced under license in the PRC and DPRK.

Technical specifications

GAZ-63, the technical characteristics of which were optimal for the period of its development, was produced until 1968. For the entire time of its production, 474,464 vehicles rolled off the assembly line, including export options. The main technical indicators of the car were:

• Wheel formula - all-wheel drive.
• Number of seats - 2.
• Length - 5525 mm.
• Width - 2200 mm.
• Height - 2245 mm.
• Clearance - 270 mm.
• The lifting capacity is 2000 kg.
• Towed weight hitch- 2000 kg.
• Engine type - GAZ-51.
• The volume of the motor is 3485 cubic meters. cm.
• The maximum travel speed is 65 km / h.
• Fuel consumption is 30 liters per 100 km of track.
• The equipped weight is 3280 kg.

The opinion of professionals

In general, the GAZ-63 proved to be very good in practice, but it had a significant constructive flaw, which in Soviet times was not too fond of mentioning: the developers of the car did not quite correctly determine the ratio of the track width to the position of the center of gravity of the truck. In this regard, the operation showed that a car with a decent cross-country ability had poor lateral stability, which led to its overturning during entry into turns with a small radius or driving on slopes. The driver who miscalculated the required cornering speed very often put the car on the side.

Modernization

The identified drawback was tried to be eliminated already in 1954. For this, two modernized models of the car were created: GAZ-63V and GAZ-63 AB. However, in the end, the customer completely rejected these options, since, in his opinion, the existing shortcomings were not leveled. Of course, engineers continued to try to find a solution to the problem, but practice showed that it was much easier to create a completely new car than to improve the old one.

Subsequently, on the basis of the "sixty-third", such special-purpose vehicles were created as: an armored personnel carrier, a tanker, an ambulance, a rocket artillery vehicle and others.

In 1952, the production of AC-3 ambulances with a van body was mastered, which was designed for seven lying patients and two sitting ones. Further, the ASh-3 command vehicle was created.

In 1959, by order of the defense department, several copies of PAZ-654 staff buses were created based on the GAZ-63 chassis. At the same time, their internal "stuffing" consisted of tables, seats, radio equipment, fire extinguishing equipment, devices for holding small arms.

In 1962, a vehicle was developed to carry containers for transporting nuclear waste. It was based on the GAZ-63, only with a reduced chassis. At the same time, the base of the machine was also lengthened and an auxiliary propeller shaft and additional support were installed. The machine was equipped with a special PSh-04 loading crane. Thanks to this, the swap body was located at a distance of almost 4 meters from the driver's cab. This made it possible in the end to dispense with the use of a special lead screen, the weight of which should have been a thousand kilograms.

www.syl.ru

Gaz-63, Vehicle Specifications, Engine Overview, Cab and Gearbox

GAZ-63 is a Soviet 4x4 truck, whose history began in 1938. Over the entire time of serial production, more than 450 thousand copies were produced. The main feature in the late 30s of the twentieth century was the carrying capacity of the machine, which was 2 thousand kilograms.

History of creation

Car design began in 1938. The engineers assembled the first prototype a year later, after which they immediately sent it to numerous tests. There was no time to create a unique design. The specialists were faced with the task of creating a car capable of going through the off-road to any part of the country. The cab was taken from other GAZ cars, the chassis was developed from scratch. In the line of the enterprise, he became the first transport with all-wheel drive and single-tire tires.

Together with the 63rd model, a civil truck was being developed, which received the index "51". It was based on the military version, technical units were unified by 80%. This reduced the cost, reduced the load on production lines, since the civilian and military trucks were assembled on the same conveyor.

Some technical units were unique, they became an innovative breakthrough of their time. The motor was placed over the front axle. Thanks to this, the dimensions of the car were reduced and the carrying capacity increased. The brake system is based on a hydraulic drive.

Both versions passed all tests successfully. The plant's management recommended that the management soon launch mass production... This was prevented by the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. The implementation of the project began in 1943, which became a turning point in the war.

The problem was the scientific progress that took place in 4 years. By this time, Soviet manufacturers got acquainted with American vehicles, which were assembled at the Gorky Automobile Plant. The engineers took some technical components from American products, and some improved from existing models.

Design features

The design solutions of the cockpit were taken from foreign counterparts. The hood became shorter, the fenders received an L-shaped formula, the headlights were protected from damage by a grill. At first glance, it was difficult to distinguish between Soviet and American designs. The final version also received design changes. It was based on the GAZ-51 cabin - lighting devices were built into the wings, their shape became more rounded. Despite this, the similarities in appearance remained.

The first assembled transport GAZ-63 received cabins made of wood. In those years, the Union experienced a shortage of sheet metal. In 1950, the cabin became wood-metal (doors were made of wood). It became all-metal in 1956, when the country's economy began to choose from the post-war crisis. The interior arrangement of the cab corresponded to the military purpose: there was little free space, the driver's seat was rigid, the heating system appeared 4 years after the start of mass production.

The body was intended to transport various cargo and soldiers. The bots were equipped with high wooden boards. Folding benches made of wood were used for planting. The package included an awning that was installed on a frame consisting of four metal arcs. The maximum carrying capacity on asphalt roads is 2 tons; when driving off-road, it decreased to one and a half tons. The versatility was added by the ability to transport trailers, the mass of which did not exceed 2 tons.

Technical characteristics of GAZ-63

The carburetor power plant was equipped with six cylinders. The liquid cooling system coped with the tasks assigned to it. The GAZ-63 engine is a mixture of GAZ-11 and Dodge D5. Developed up to 70 horsepower, which in those days was an acceptable indicator. The maximum speed is 65 kilometers per hour and the power reserve is 650 kilometers.

The maximum filling is 195 liters. Such a volume was contained in the main and additional tanks. Gasoline A-66 was used for refueling. Average fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is 25-30 liters. A few years after the start of production, independent designers assembled diesel unit for a car.

The GAZ-63 manual gearbox had 4 speeds, the GAZ-63 razdatka had two speeds and a range. The clutch is dry and has one disc. The front axle is based on ball joints of equal angular velocities. Both bridges were suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs.

The characteristics of the GAZ-63 made it possible to use the chassis to create special-purpose vehicles. The manufacturer installed military and civilian equipment for various purposes. The pearls were the mobile workshop and fire engine... The bulk of the released copies went on state orders for military needs. Thermal and sound insulation was performed at a high level, communication equipment worked without interruptions.

General specifications:

• Overall length - 5.525 meters;
• Overall width - 2.2 meters;
• Total cabin height - 2.25 meters;
• Ground clearance - 27 centimeters;
• Weight - 3.2 tons;
• Loaded machine weight - 5.35 tons;
• The maximum speed is 65 km / h.

Graduation ended in 1968. More than 450 thousand copies were produced, which went to the needs of not only Russia, but also the countries of the Soviet Union. Exports to Asia, Africa and the Middle East were also established. Some GAZ-63s are in operation today. Sometimes you can find offers on secondary market... Cars are offered in different quality. There is a good one. These are the specimens that have been preserved for many years. average price ranges from 20 to 150 thousand rubles.

Scope of application

An experimental batch for passing the final tests was created in 1945, after which it received approval from I.V. Stalin and the entire leadership of the party. Serial production began in 1948, two years after the civilian model. The machine has received high marks and good reviews from thousands of consumers across the country.

GAZ-63 is able to overcome various obstacles. Off-road, ditches, water obstacles no more than 80 centimeters deep, loose snow and many others. It was widely used for the delivery of goods, equipment and people to remote and hard-to-reach regions of the Union.

Military vehicles have gained demand among the civilian population. The application was not as wide as in the army. Most often, small batches were purchased for agricultural service. The transport was overloaded, so it quickly fell into disrepair and required frequent repairs. Four-wheel drive was considered an indisputable advantage for the countryside, but many were not satisfied with the lean-to. According to customer reviews, the plant has developed modifications with dual-tire tires for the rear axle wheels.

The car showed poor roadholding. This was due to the narrow potassium wheels and high ground clearance. It was not often that the structural lowering caused the machine to overturn. Special care when entering a turn was required from the drivers who were driving special vehicles. The self-pulling problem was solved in the model with the index "A", which was equipped with a winch.

Modifications

Many models have been developed on the basis of the standard version.

GAZ-63A

The most popular was considered a truck with the index "A". He got a winch. The designers placed it behind the front bumper located at the front of the frame. The winch was powered by a propeller shaft from the power take-off. The length of the cable is 65 meters, its carrying capacity was 4.5 thousand kilograms. A towing device appeared on the rear frame. The cab and body structures have not been changed.

Other models

In addition to the GAZ-63A, there are other versions:

• "E" - received shielded electrical equipment;
• "AE" - combined the innovations of the two previous modifications;
• "U" - the version was developed for export to other countries;
• "AU" - export model with a winch;
• "EU" - a model for delivery to other countries with shielded electrical equipment;
• "Yu" - a car for operation in a tropical climate;
• "EH" - similar previous model a machine with shielded electrical equipment;
• "P" - a side-mounted tractor with two-wheel tires.

There are several more uncommon options, which are fire fighting vehicles, tank trucks, etc.

What can be done?

GAZ-63 is a legendary car with a rich history. It has brought a lot of benefits not only to our country, but also to foreign countries to which it was exported. High quality the car is confirmed by the fact that some copies are in operation in our time, practically 50 years after the completion of production.

militaryarms.ru

technical characteristics (TTX) of the vehicle, cross-country ability, body dimensions, fuel consumption per 100 km

The GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle became the first Soviet all-wheel drive vehicle produced in the series. The machine, together with the ZiS-151, formed the basis vehicle fleet Soviet Army in the first post-war decades. The truck was produced in North Korea under the name Sungri-61 and in China under the designations Yuejin NJ230 and NJ230A.

Excellently recommended in the army, the car was completely unsuitable for the civil service. The overloaded engine could not cope with the work, choking when working at full power, and when using the carrying capacity to the maximum, the all-terrain vehicle lost its main advantage - cross-country ability.

History of the creation of the model

The development of a promising generation of trucks began in 1937. The project provided for the creation of the most unified vehicles - a civilian truck with rear axle drive and an army vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive. The new generation of trucks was radically different from the GAZ-AA.

The first prototype of the GAZ-63 appeared in the spring of 1939, ahead of its civilian counterpart by several months. The car became the first all-wheel drive car built on GAZ. The all-terrain vehicle used a 76-horsepower Dodge D5 engine and an original transfer case that could disable one or both bridges. The outbreak of the Great Patriotic War interrupted the testing of the machine, but work on improving the design did not stop.

The further development of the machine was influenced by American and British trucks supplied under Lend-Lease.

Upgraded prototypes of the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle were tested in 1944 and were equipped with a modified cabin, modeled on the American Studebaker.

Serial production was planned to begin in 1945, but due to technological difficulties, it had to be postponed to 1948.

The first cars left the assembly line at the beginning of autumn. At that time, hardly anyone imagined that the all-terrain vehicle would last 20 years in production and sell almost 475 thousand copies.

Design features

The GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle is built on a frame chassis. The layout provides short front and rear overhangs, which has a positive effect on the geometric cross-country ability of the GAZ-63. The design uses tires with the ability to work at reduced pressure, it is worth noting that this significantly reduced the rubber resource. The wheels were pumped up from a running engine.

To ensure a quick start, the GAZ-63 radiator had a flame tube into which a blowtorch was inserted.

The lamp was installed in the right arch front wheel... When the lamp was operating, the liquid in the radiator was warmed up by the flame, and the hot air warmed up the oil in the engine sump of the all-terrain vehicle.

Machine device

To install the units of the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle, a frame assembled from a steel profile with rivets is used. The side parts of the frame are composed of variable profile spars. The cross members are riveted to the side members, except for the second one, on which the engine mounts are located. This engine support bar is removable and bolted.

The front of the frame ends with a bumper, on the top of which there are two tow hooks. The rear cross member is equipped with a standard towing mechanism with a spring shock absorber.

Engine

A 70-horsepower GAZ-21 carburetor engine is used as a power unit on the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle. The engine has 6 cylinders arranged in a row. Gas distribution system with lower valves. Cooling system with forced circulation of liquid from a centrifugal pump. GAZ-21 was designed to run on gasoline with an octane rating of A-66.

The fuel is supplied by a diaphragm pump that supplies gasoline from a 90 liter tank.

The tank is installed between the frame side members under the cab. In early versions of the all-terrain vehicle, the fuel supply was stored in a 105-liter tank located under the platform on the left frame side member. After 1949, this tank became optional.

Fuel consumption on the GAZ-63 onboard all-terrain vehicles was up to 25 liters per 100 kilometers (only 5 liters more than the civilian GAZ-51). The semitrailer tractor, due to the greater weight of the road train, consumed 35 liters per 100 km.

Transmission

The engine on the early GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicles is equipped with a semi-centrifugal clutch equipped with one dry friction working disc. Later, a conventional single-plate clutch began to be used, which ensures uniform pressure of the discs throughout the entire rpm range.

On all-terrain vehicles, one type of mechanical gearbox was installed, which provided 4 gears for forward movement. The top gear is direct. Gears with straight teeth are used in the design of the box.

The torque distribution is carried out using a separate gearbox. The box is connected to the gearbox cardan shaft... The distributing gearbox GAZ-63 has a direct and lower speed, and also provides the ability to turn off the front axle drive.

The distribution gearbox of the all-terrain vehicle is connected with bridges, unified cardan shafts.

The shaft between the transfer case and the gearbox has the same geometric dimensions. The shafts do not have intermediate supports, they are equipped with spline joints that allow the movement of the transmission units.

The axles of the GAZ-63 have fully unloaded axle stockings. The gearboxes are interchangeable, equipped with tapered main pairs with a spiral tooth. The gear ratio is 7.6. Bevel differentials are installed in the axle housings. There is no interaxle differential gear on the all-terrain vehicle. The front axle half-shafts are equipped with swivel fists with ball joints of the Bendix-Weiss type.

Auxiliary drives

On the GAZ-63A all-terrain vehicles, a winch was installed with a drive from a separate power take-off. The box had 3 speeds and was located on the side surface of the gearbox housing. Between the winch and the output shaft was installed cardan transmission.

The selection box provided a reduced and increased speed of pulling the cable onto the drum and one speed for unwinding the cable. Engine power was sufficient to provide a thrust force of 3500 kg.

A similar selection box was used on GAZ-63D truck tractors, only the output shaft was directed backward.

The box was used to operate the tipping drives of the GAZ-707 dump semi-trailer. Since the mid-50s, a simplified take-off box has been used, which had one forward and backward speed. The latest versions of all-terrain vehicles were equipped with a selection box, unified with the unit from the GAZ-66.

Steering

The GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle is controlled by mechanical control. The steering shaft is connected to a worm shaft mounted in the gearbox. The shaft has a globoidal profile cutting. A double-ridged roller, connected to the output shaft, moves along the cut.

A bipod is installed at the output of the gearbox, which rotates the wheel with the help of a thrust. An additional lateral thrust is installed between the wheels, which ensures the synchronization of the control operation.

Early all-terrain vehicles GAZ-63 were equipped with a three-spoke steering wheel with a diameter of 450 mm, later it was replaced by a steering wheel with a diameter of 425 mm.

Brake system

The service brakes of the machine are installed on all wheels and are of the drum type. The drive of the mechanisms from a hydraulic system that did not have an amplifier. The early GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicles used a disc parking brake. The pads were fixed using a lever mounted on the cab floor.

Since 1956, a mechanically controlled drum mechanism has been used.

The GAZ-63P and 63D truck tractors, due to their greater weight, were equipped with a hydraulic vacuum amplifier in the brake drive circuit, as well as an enlarged master brake cylinder.

Cabin

On the early versions of the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle, a cab of a combined design was installed. The frame, the front empennage, the windshield frame, the dashboard and the side door frames were made of metal. The rear of the cab and the door panels are made of wood and sheathed with thin plywood on top.

Because of this, the rear of the cab has a characteristic flat shape. There is a viewing window on the wall, covered with a protective mesh. The roof of the cabin had a wooden frame on which leatherette or tarpaulin was stretched.

For ventilation, the windshield frame could be folded up. The doors did not have pivoting vents, but were equipped with sliding glass. To clean the windshield, there was a single vacuum-driven wiper.

The drive worked from a vacuum in the intake manifold of the engine, so the cleaning intensity depended on the engine speed.

A characteristic feature of the early GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicles is the lack of heating in the cab, as well as wooden footboards.

Since 1949, the introduction of transitional cabins of an all-metal structure with a rounded rear part began. The outer surfaces were edged with steel strips, secured with screws. Anti-dirt aprons appeared under the doors, equipped with two stamps.

The footboards of the GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle were made of metal. Wooden parts continued to be used in the construction of doors, but outside the doors were sheathed with steel sheet. The cabin of this scheme was used until the end of 1957, after which an all-metal structure began to be used. Externally, the cabins are distinguished by rounded side glass frames and opening vents.

At the same time, the side panels of the hood were replaced - instead of the inscription “Avtozavod im. Molotov ”the text“ Gorky Automobile Plant ”appeared. The cabins of the transitional and late type were equipped with a heating system and two vacuum-driven glass cleaners.

The interior of the GAZ-63 cabin remained constant, only the quality and finishing materials changed. The seats for the passenger and the driver are separated, between them there is a gearbox column, with a gear lever. The driver's seat was adjustable in the longitudinal plane. The battery was located under the driver's seat, until 1960, it was located in a special mount on the left side member of the car frame.

Suspension

The GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle is equipped with a dependent suspension on leaf springs. The kinematics of the suspension operation is unified - the rear end of the spring is mounted on a swinging link, which compensates for the change in the length of the assembly. The front suspension uses lever-type shock absorbers for compression and rebound.

The rear springs of the machine are equipped with additional springs.

On the army, and parts of civilian vehicles, 18x8 rims were used, with split side and locking rings. Somewhat different in this regard truck tractors based on the GAZ-63, they were equipped with disks from the GAZ-51.

Cargo platform

The GAZ-63 onboard all-terrain vehicle was equipped with an onboard cargo platform made of wood and located on the frame behind the cab. Loading and unloading was carried out through the tailgate of the body.

The side walls could be increased due to the installation of lattices on top of the boards, knocked together according to certain standard sizes. The platform was installed on the frame by means of a lathing lath. In the back, on the sides, there were folding benches for 12 people.

Dimensions of the body of the all-terrain vehicle GAZ-63:

• length - 2940 mm;
• width - 1990 mm;
• the height of the sides (side and front) - 890 mm;
• loading height - 1285 mm.

The folded back side of the GAZ-63 was held horizontally by chains and served as a continuation of the platform floor. On the edge of the side there were folding steps that facilitated access to the platform. On the sides there are brackets for fastening four removable arcs. Two boxes of spare parts and a can for 10 liters of engine oil are installed under the floor of the platform of the all-terrain vehicle.

Since 1953, the front side has been equipped with two yellow reflectors, and the rear side - with two red reflectors. The reflectors were used on the all-terrain vehicle for 10 years, up to the introduction of plastic diffusers on the external lighting equipment of the GAZ-63.

Specifications

Modifications

The plant produced several modifications of the all-terrain vehicle:

• GAZ-63 - basic version;
• GAZ-63A - basic version equipped with a 4.5 tf winch;
• GAZ-63E and 63AE - military vehicles with shielding of power grids and equipment, the AE model was equipped with a traction winch, similar to that installed on model A;
• GAZ-63U and 63AU - export options, differed in workmanship and finish;
• GAZ-63Yu and 63AYU - vehicles intended for operation in tropical climates, additional engine cooling and additional filters have been installed;
• GAZ-63P and D - truck tractors on a basic basis.

The civilian chassis GAZ-63 was used to create fire tanks of the ATsU-20 and PMG-19 models, the AR-1.6 hose machine and the ASOP-5 communication vehicle. The civil service actively operated the ATZ-2.2 oil product tank and the AC-18 and VTsPT-1.5 dairy products.

The chassis and flatbed truck GAZ-63 were widely used in the Soviet Army. On the basis of the all-terrain vehicle, a TZ-63 fuel tanker, an MZ-3904 oil carrier, an AS-1 medical van, a platform for transporting a light pontoon fleet, and mobile radio stations were mounted. The 17-barreled rocket launcher BM-14-17 was produced in small series. The truck units were used to create the BTR-40 armored personnel carrier and the BRDM-1 amphibious vehicle.

For army needs, a small batch (no more than 9 pieces) of PAZ-654 staff buses was produced.

The salon was equipped with tables and seats for personnel, rigidly fixed to the floor. There was radio equipment, racks for placing weapons and additional means of extinguishing fires.

On the outside of the body there was a ladder used to install the antennas. The bus interior was equipped with an additional heater. The car did not reach the series due to low stability and chassis overload.

On the basis of the all-terrain vehicle, the AS-3 ambulance bus was produced, designed to transport the wounded or sick, as well as medical equipment. The all-metal van could accommodate seven bedridden patients and two sedentary ones. When transporting only sedentary patients, the capacity increased to 14 people. For the construction, a bus chassis was used, equipped with shock absorbers on the rear axle and leaf springs with reduced stiffness.

A trace in the history of the automotive industry

The GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle became the basis for the creation of light armored personnel carriers BTR-40 and BRDM-1, which were a new type of weapon for the Soviet Army and were mass-produced for almost 10 years.

Development of the famous "shishiga" GAZ-66 would have been impossible without operating experience army all-terrain vehicles GAZ-63.

The data obtained allowed us to improve the design of the new army vehicle and improve performance characteristics.

To date, the operation of GAZ-63 vehicles continues. All-terrain vehicles are used both for the delivery of goods in off-road conditions, and in the role of expedition vehicles... Copies of the first years of release are of collectible value.

Video

warbook.club

GAZ-63 is a Soviet truck. History, description, specifications

The Gorky Automobile Plant is famous for its trucks. The seemingly ordinary rear-wheel drive GAZ-51 has become a legend in the domestic auto industry. The all-wheel drive GAZ-63 has undeservedly remained in the memory of only amateurs, and historians do not indulge him with attention.

The beginning of the history of creation

The famous GAZ-AA lorry was the only truck in the last decade before the Great Patriotic War. She was already outdated both morally and technically and required replacement. The army was in dire need of an all-wheel drive truck with high cross-country ability.

At the beginning of 1938, at the Gorky Automobile Plant im. Molotov, work began on the creation of a whole series of trucks designed for difficult road conditions. Two- and three-axle all-wheel drive cargo chassis differed mainly in the length of the base.

The first domestic all-wheel drive car GAZ-63 began its history in April 1938. A year later, the first prototypes were built, which were originally called GAZ-62. They were equipped with modernized engines from the GAZ-MM 50 hp lorry. with. The cab was used from the GAZ-415 pickup truck, and the chassis was developed specifically for this model.

Design features

The development of a new cab design was not involved. The main task was to create an all-terrain vehicle, so attention was paid to the chassis.

A fundamentally different layout - the engine was located above the front axle - made it possible to increase the carrying capacity while reducing the base length.

For the first time, single wheels were installed with the same front and rear track, all of them were leading, while for the sake of fuel economy, front-wheel drive could be turned off. The dual-pitch rear wheels, which are forced to widen the track in sand and mud, result in unnecessary power consumption. The transfer case was installed so that the length of the propeller shafts to both the front and rear axles was the same. The dependent suspension of all wheels was located on semi-elliptical springs, and the front one still had double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers. The handbrake drive became hydraulic.

At the beginning of 1943, the cab and the engine were changed on the car. With a cab from the Studebaker, it lasted until the end of Lend-Lease deliveries.

The release of this car was resumed in 1948 with a cabin from the GAZ-51. dimensions GAZ-63 in the updated version was 5525 × 2200 × 2245 mm.

Military equipment based on the vehicle

In October 1943, the Gorky Automobile Plant began to develop a wheeled self-propelled gun with a 76 mm cannon. By May 1944, the first copy was produced. On both sides of the gun were the driver's and gunner's seats. Ammunition consisted of fifty-eight shells. This car fought at the end of the Great Patriotic War.

In parallel with the development of a truck model on its basis in 1947, a light two-axle armored personnel carrier with monocoque body, dubbed the BTR-40. The armored personnel carrier was designed for eight paratroopers. The wheelbase was reduced by 600 mm, the engine power was raised to 81 hp. with., increasing the upper limit of the rotational speed and sacrificing durability, which was not of particular importance for military equipment.

The armored personnel carrier was armed with an easel machine gun of the Goryunov system, the ammunition of which included 1260 rounds. The machine gun could be installed along the sides on one of four brackets. On the same brackets, it was possible to install the DPM light machine gun, which the paratroopers were armed with. Modification of the BTR-40A was equipped with coaxial heavy machine guns KVPT. In 1993, the armored personnel carrier was removed from service.

Since 1950, the BM-14 Katyusha rocket artillery combat vehicle has also been produced on the GAZ-63 chassis.

Mass production

From the beginning of the autumn of 1948, the serial production of the GAZ-63 began. By that time, he had successfully confirmed the characteristics by state tests, during which climbs up to 30 °, fords up to 0.9 m and ditches up to 0.76 m deep were overcome. The consumption of the cheapest gasoline A-66 was from 25 to 29 liters per 100 km, the carrying capacity on the highway was 2.0 tons, on a dirt road - 1.5 tons.

A significant drawback of this car was instability at high-speed corners. The ground clearance was 270 mm with a narrow track, it increased the truck's cross-country ability, but at the same time, an increase in height led to overturning on bends and slopes. This was especially true of high-tech special equipment on the GAZ-63 chassis, for example, vans or tanks.

In the summer of 1968, the last such production car was produced. For all the time, 474 thousand cars of various modifications were produced. They were exported to the countries of the socialist camp, Finland, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Export deliveries

GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia in Eastern Europe, Vietnam, North Korea, Laos and Mongolia in Asia, Cuba, African countries - states to which GAZ-63 was supplied. The export car prices were understated. The equipment was supplied as part of fraternal aid to friendly countries.

Abroad, not only the basic models of the GAZ-63 and 63A all-wheel drive truck were supplied, but also its 63P modifications in export and tropical versions, vehicles with 63E shielded equipment, buses on this chassis and other models.

In addition, in North Korea since 1961 under the Sungri-61 Sungri-61NA brand and in China since 1965 under the Yuejin NJ230 and NJ230A brand, cars based on this machine have been produced under a Soviet license.

In the fighting in the DPRK, the Soviet all-wheel drive army truck proved to be a real combat vehicle and earned the recognition of the military.

Army vehicle

Until 1950, the car cabin was wooden, then metal with wooden doors, and from 1956 - all-metal. It was cramped and cold, the heater appeared in the design only in 1952, despite the fact that pre-heaters were installed in cars from the beginning of production.

The cargo-passenger platform with high lattice plank sides was equipped with folding longitudinal benches for transporting soldiers. The tailgate was hinged. The awning protected from bad weather, which was stretched on four arcs, installed in special nests. The height of the car on the awning was 2,810 mm.

The functionality of the car was also increased by the fact that it could tow trailers with a carrying capacity of two tons.

The GAZ-63 army off-road truck was used to transport personnel, to tow guns, and to mount combat installations.

SUV modifications

There were only two main modifications of an off-road truck.

In parallel with the base model, a modification was produced with a winch at the front end of the extended GAZ-63A frame for self-pulling and helping other cars in difficult road conditions. The winch with a cable 65 m long was driven by a cardan shaft through a power take-off from the transmission and developed a pulling force of up to 4.5 tons. The curb weight of the car is 240 kg more than that of the base model.

In 1958, the GAZ-63P tractor with reduced wheels was produced to work with a single-axle semi-trailer with a carrying capacity of up to four tons. Rear wheels of the tractor were already gable. And from the next year, the plant began to produce the GAZ-63D truck tractor. Its design, in contrast to the previous modification, included a power take-off and a mechanical outlet for driving a dumping mechanism in a semitrailer design.

Special vehicles based on an off-road vehicle

Fuel tankers, oil tankers, milk tanks, vans, mobile auto repair shops, staff and medical buses, disinfection units, auger-rotary machines were assembled on the basis of GAZ-63. A fire engine for communication and lighting, tank trucks of several modifications were produced by the Vargashinsky plant of fire-fighting equipment. The headquarters and sleeve fire trucks were produced at the Moscow fire engine plant.

For the military, in addition to basic models, staff and medical buses, shielded warm and sealed communication vehicles, disinfection and shower units DDA-53A were produced for sanitizing in field conditions personnel, disinfection and disinsection of uniforms and equipment. The installation was supplied with a liquid fuel or wood-fired steam boiler, the operating pressure of which was four atmospheres, a storage boiler, a hand pump, a steam elevator, control equipment, two open disinfection chambers and shower cabins with twelve shower nets.

Specifications

Since at the plant, almost simultaneously with the army, a civilian truck GAZ-51 was created, most of the units and parts were unified, which over time made it possible to assemble these vehicles on one conveyor, thereby reducing the cost of assembly and simplifying operation.

Engine on army off-road vehicle installed a six-cylinder carburetor lower valve with a volume of 3.5 thousand cubic meters with the GAZ-51. see A small power reserve of 70 liters. with. and the speed of 65 km / h was compensated by the 780 km range with a full load without refueling.

Two fuel tanks, main and additional, provided a fuel supply of almost 200 liters of gasoline. GAZ-63 (diesel) appeared in various home-made versions and is still being finalized by craftsmen.

The gearbox in this car is four-speed, the clutch is single-disk, dry, in the transfer case there are two stages and a range multiplier, which is equipped not only with a reduction, but also with a direct gear to reduce fuel consumption on highways.

The GAZ-63 was hardy, unpretentious and easy to operate, had a high cross-country ability, thanks to these characteristics, it was produced for almost twenty years. It can be found even now not only among amateurs - from conservation, at competitions, but also on the roads. Its price fluctuates in the car market from 60 to 450 thousand rubles, depending on the condition and availability of native parts and assemblies.

fb.ru

GAZ-63 (4X4)

Technical characteristics of the car GAZ-63 (4X4) Produced by Gorkovsky automobile plant from 1948 to April 1968. Body - wooden platform with high lattice sides and folding side benches, opening tailgate. The cabin is two-seater, all-metal. Modification - GAZ-63A; differs from the GAZ-63 car by the presence of a winch installed at the front end of the frame. The winch is driven by the engine through the power take-off. The modification is discontinued. Carrying capacity, kg - 2000 Permissible trailer weight, kg - 2000 Own weight, kg - 3200 (3440) #i Including front axle - 1640 (1940) #i Including rear axle - 1560 (1500) Full weight, kg - 5350 (5590) #i Including front axle - 1980 (2270) #i Including rear axle - 3370 (3320) Ground clearance under the axle, mm: #i front - 270 #i middle and rear - 270 Turning radius, m: #i along the axis of the track of the outer front wheel - 8.7 #i outer overall - 9.7 Maximum speed, km / h - 65 Control fuel consumption at a speed of 40 km / h, l / 100 km - 25 GAZ-51 engine, carburetor, four-stroke, six-cylinder, low-valve. Diameter of the cylinder and piston stroke, mm - 82X110 Displacement, l - 3.48 Compression ratio - 6.2 The order of operation of the cylinders - 1-5-3-6-2-4 Maximum power, l. with. - 70 at 2800 rpm Maximum torque, kgf-m - 20.5 at 1500-1700 rpm Carburetor - K-22G Voltage of electrical equipment - 12B Battery - 6ST-68 Spark plugs - M12U Generator - G108-G Relay -regulator - RR24G Starter - ST230-A Single-disk clutch, dry Four-speed gearbox Two-stage transfer case Single main gear Gear ratios: #i gearboxes - I-6.40; II 3.09; III 1.69; IV-1.00; Z.H.-7.82 #i transfer case I-1.96; II - 1.00; #i main gear - 7,6 The steering gear is a globoidal worm with a two-ridge roller, gear ratio - 20.5 Suspension: #i front and rear on two longitudinal semi-elliptic springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, double-acting Brakes: #i working shoe on all wheels with hydraulic drive #i parking shoe on transmission with mechanical drive. Number of wheels - 4 + 1 Tire size - 10.00-18 Tire pressure: #i front wheels, kgf / cm2 - 3.0 #i rear wheels, kgf / cm2 - 4.0 It is allowed to decrease the pressure to 0.5 kgf / cm2, while the speed of movement should be at 1.5 kgf / cm2 no more than 20 km / h and at 05 - no more than 10 km / h. Filling volumes, l, and recommended operating materials: #i Main fuel tank- 90; #i Additional - 105, gasoline A-66 The data for the GAZ-63A car are given in brackets. dimensions Sources of information #i A quick reference for automobiles. Moscow "TRANSPORT" 1971 Sixth edition. State Research Institute of Automobile Transport NIIAT.

www.airbase.ru

Army four-wheel drive truck GAZ 63

Work on the creation of four-wheel drive trucks in the USSR began in the late 30s. Until that time, GAZ-AA, the famous "lorries", which by the beginning of the 40s were already considered morally and technically obsolete and required replacement, constituted the basis of the country's freight vehicle fleet. In this regard, in the spring of 1938, the designers Gorky plant engaged in the development of a new truck, or rather a whole family of trucks, off-road, which could be operated in difficult road conditions. All-wheel drive cargo chassis, which were the basis for trucks and armored vehicles, were two- and three-axle and differed among themselves, first of all, in the length of the base.

How the off-road GAZ 63 was created

A truck with a standard base length was assigned the GAZ 63 index. An experimental model was built in 1939, after which the car was sent for testing. Since during the development of the new model the main emphasis was placed on its all-terrain qualities, the truck could not boast of its original appearance - the cab for the prototype was installed from a "lorry". But this was not the main thing, because the chassis of the car was unique. GAZ 63 became the first off-road trucks with 4x4 drive and single tire tires.

In parallel with the development of an off-road truck at the Gorky Automobile Plant, a civil truck GAZ-11-51 (later GAZ 51) was being designed, with which most of the spare parts for GAZ 63 were unified. In the future, almost 80% unification of the main components made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of production of new cars, simplify operation, as well as use a single conveyor for their release. Some of the design developments and technical solutions that were used on the GAZ 51 and GAZ 63 were revolutionary for their time. So, unlike the pre-war models, the new cars received a fundamentally different layout - by installing the engine over the front axle of the trucks, the designers were able to increase the carrying capacity of the cars, while reducing their overall length. The brakes are now hydraulic.

Despite the fact that the trucks have successfully passed all the tests and were recommended for production, to start their production in the early 40s. it did not succeed - the Great Patriotic War prevented. Work on the creation of promising cars continued already in 1943, after the Soviet Army drove the Nazis to the west. True, by this time, only indices remained of the machines designed in the pre-war years: the war made its own adjustments, and in just a couple of years, science and technology made a step forward. In addition, the designers of the car plant "got to know closely" the American all-wheel drive trucks Studabeker and Shevrolet, which were assembled here, in Gorky, during the war under Lend-Lease. Of course, the engineers could not miss such an excellent opportunity to borrow part of the design developments of the Americans, although nevertheless the main components were designed by them independently or improved from the existing ones.

Design features of the car

The wheels and cab of the new GAZ 63, assembled in 1943, practically did not differ from the Studebaker US-6s. The same shortened hood, rectangular L-shaped fenders, a protective grill in front of the headlights. Some even confused the two cars. Later, the final version was presented, made similar to the GAZ 51 cab and having rounded fenders and large round headlights built into them. However, despite the redesigned design, the resemblance of the updated Soviet cockpit to the American prototype was still evident. Initially, the GAZ 63 cab was made of wood. there was an acute shortage of sheet metal in the country. Only in 1950 the cab was made combined - wood-metal, leaving only the doors made of wood. The all-metal cabin became in 1956, when the national economy had already recovered a little from the post-war devastation. There was not much space in the cockpit, the heater appeared only 4 years after the mass production of the car began, and the driver's seat was perhaps not rigid. However, what else could you expect from an army off-road truck?

The GAZ 63 cargo-passenger platform had high lattice wooden sides and was equipped with folding longitudinal benches for transporting people. Of course, there was no pleasure in driving this "hard" car, but driving is still better than walking, especially for the soldiers. On four arcs, installed in special nests, an awning was stretched, which protected from bad weather. The overall dimensions of GAZ 63 are 5,525 x 2,200 x 2,245 (height along the awning 2,810) mm. The carrying capacity of the car according to the passport is 2 tons (on dirt roads - 1.5 tons), for the GAZ 63A and GAZ 63 P modifications - 2.5 tons. The truck could also tow trailers weighing up to 2 tons, which significantly increased its functionality.

Trucks were actively used throughout the USSR

An experimental batch of new trucks, ready to undergo comprehensive tests, was manufactured in 1945, after the vehicles received the approval of Comrade Stalin I.V. and party leaders. The GAZ 63 got into serial production only in the fall of 1948, two years later than the GAZ 51. This all-terrain model with high technical characteristics and excellent cross-country ability was appreciated in the Soviet Army. Moving on viscous soil, ford up to 80 cm deep, almost half-meter loose snow cover, 70-centimeter ditches on the GAZ 63 was possible without unnecessary problems. Even a half-ton decrease in comparison with the GAZ 51, the payload did not beg for all the advantages of the truck. GAZ 63 was used to transport army personnel, to tow military weapons and to mount various combat installations. By the way, you can see an interesting test drive GAZ 63 below.

V national economy"sixty-third" also found their application, but they were used less often, and, mainly, in the countryside. In the post-war period, the number of trucks, and even somewhere in the outback, was minimal, and the demand for cargo transportation was off scale, and therefore a considerable overload was considered, so to speak, the norm. Of course, it is a sin to doubt the reliability of the design of Soviet trucks, but with an increase in the load, the cross-country ability of cars dropped sharply, for which, in fact, this model was created. In addition, no one canceled the wear of parts and current breakdowns, and it was problematic to take care of the trucks in the countryside, since it was problematic in the army. Four-wheel drive on the village off-road turned out to be very useful, but the advantages of the lean-to were questionable. At first, craftsmen tried to improve the car on their own, later factory modifications of GAZ 63 with a dual-slope rear axle tire began to appear.

Another very significant drawback was the lack of stability of the car. The GAZ 63 all-terrain vehicle had a narrow track and a high-positioned body (ground clearance was 270 mm), so drivers often "laid" the car on its side, entering a turn at a higher than required speed. To a greater extent similar problem touched vans, cisterns and other special equipment installed on the chassis of the 63rd model. Carefully, it was necessary to drive on slopes or off-road terrain - it was easy to overturn the truck, but to pull it out was worth trying. It is good if the car (model GAZ 63A) was equipped with a self-pulling means - a winch, the cable of which had a length of 65 m, and the pulling force was 4.5 tons!

Overview of technical specifications

The main thing is that the engine cope ... GAZ 63 was equipped with a 6-cylinder in-line carburetor with a system liquid cooling GAZ 51, which did not have a significant power reserve. In fact, it was an improved GAZ 11, developed back in the early 30s. similar to the American Dodge D5. Its power is 70 hp. seems ridiculous by modern standards. The maximum speed that the truck developed was also low - 65 km / h. But the power reserve of the car was about 650 km.

The total volume of the main and additional fuel tanks is quite impressive - 195 liters. For 100 kilometers, the car consumed about 25-29 liters of A-66 gasoline. Much later, GAZ 63 diesel appeared, but these were home-made versions of the car. Together with the engine, a four-speed gearbox and a two-stage transfer case with a demultiplier worked. The clutch of the car was dry, single-plate. The designers equipped the front axle of GAZ 63 with ball joints of equal angular velocities of the Bendix Weiss type. The truck's axles were suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs.

The GAZ 63 truck chassis became the base for the creation of various special vehicles. On the roads one could find "lawns" with on-board platforms, vans, oil and fuel tankers. Also, a mobile repair shop, a communications vehicle, an ambulance, a firefighter GAZ 63, etc. were created. Since the bulk of the cars were created under government orders and supplied to the military, trucks were often equipped with KUNG bodies. At the same time, GAZ 63 KUNG was completely shielded, which made it possible to reduce the interference arising during the operation of communication equipment, hermetically sealed and incredibly warm.

The last GAZ 63 rolled off the factory assembly line in 1968. During the entire production period, almost half a million trucks of various modifications were assembled, a considerable part of which was exported to the countries of the socialist camp, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. All-terrain vehicles of the "sixty-third model", despite their considerable age, can be found today. Many car enthusiasts buy them on the secondary market, some are in excellent condition, with conservation. The price of GAZ 63 is low - from 20 to 150 thousand rubles.

A rare opportunity presented itself to the author of this article: he drove on a GAZ-63 collection truck ... It is curious that the creator of the car did not say a word about the main purpose of his creation - to serve in the Soviet army. How can you not believe that the USSR was the most peaceful country in the world.

Meanwhile, the GAZ-63 from the very beginning of development (that is, from the end of the 30s) was designed precisely as a military vehicle. Taking into account the experience of the war, adjustments were made. Now the new universal truck was supposed to replace the Dodge WC51 (52) with a carrying capacity of 3/4 tonnes in the army, the two-axle Chevrolet G7107 with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes, as well as numerous American commercial two-ton trucks, converted for four-wheel drive. The first prototype with a cabin from the three-axle Studebaker US-6, developed by a team of engineers led by V.A.Grachev and P.I.Musyukin, who replaced him, was ready in 1944. The hero of my story began to roll off the assembly line on September 31, 1948.

This photo clearly shows the difference in height (115 mm) between GAZ-51 and GAZ-63

UNIFICATION AND COMPILATION
Externally, the serial GAZ-63 all-terrain vehicle differed from the prototype by the radiator lining, unified with the rear-wheel drive GAZ-51, rounded fenders with headlights half recessed in them and quick-detachable hood sides. And since it was difficult with sheet metal in the first post-war years in the Soviet Union, until 1950 all GAZons were produced with an angular wooden cabin sheathed with metal and leatherette. But the universal cargo platform with high sides and folding benches was made of wood deliberately, and not out of necessity. As it turned out during the very tough operation of Land-Lease technology, especially American, the steel body did more harm than good. The excessive strength of the steel prevented the truck frame from bending, which eventually led to its breakage.

Raised glass allows for radical ventilation of the cab

Standard fuel tank holds 90 liters of gasoline

The heart of the car is a low-valve in-line six-cylinder engine with a working volume of 3.48 liters and a capacity of 70 liters. with. at "diesel" speed by today's standards - 2800 rpm. Torque - 20.5 Kgm at 1500 rpm. This motor was created on the basis of the pre-war GAZ-11. And he, in turn, was an almost exact copy of one of the most famous developments of the Chrysler Corporation engineers of the early 30s. It is believed to be a Dodge engine. However, it is worth remembering that Chrysler cars (as well as GM and Ford) were unified as much as possible. Therefore, there was not much difference in design between the power plants of Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, DeSoto or Fargo (subsidiaries and trademarks of Chrysler Corporation).

The four-speed gearbox from the GAZ-51 is aggregated with a transfer case in two stages (reduction gear 1.96: 1). Interestingly, the pump is driven from the box to inflate the tires. By the way, the checkpoint design is suspiciously similar to a similar unit of the Dodge WF truck. I will not say anything for sure, because a detailed analysis requires the availability of special literature on American technology. Moreover, it is desirable from the 40s.

There is an anti-slip system, but it is tuned to asphalt

Low-valve 6-cylinder carburetor engine with diesel characteristics

Semi-recessed headlights in rounded fenders with blackout "curtains"

The highlight of the GAZ-63 was single-wheel wheels. This feature gave a serious advantage in cross-country ability over American counterparts and the Soviet three-axle all-wheel drive ZiS-151. True, the carrying capacity has dropped somewhat in comparison with the 2.5-ton GAZ-51. Some of the machines (modifications of the GAZ-63A) were equipped with a winch, which was used not only for self-pulling, but also for installing 85-mm and 100-mm artillery systems in a difficult position.

Alas, despite the solid circulation of 474,464 pieces, produced from 1948 to 1968, nowadays it is problematic to meet a worker, and most importantly, a complete GAZ-63. Especially in the capitals. Fortunately, in the city of Zaporozhye, in the collection of military equipment of the military fan Dmitry Poznyak, there was not just a living, but a perfectly restored copy.

“The GAZ-63 is a 2-ton, two-axle off-road truck. Such a vehicle is needed for transportation in difficult road conditions - on peat harvesting, logging, off-road and seasonal muddy roads, when dirt roads are impassable for 4 × 2 vehicles. During state tests, GAZ-63 was highly appreciated. Moreover, it was noted that he is able to overcome heavy off-road and move at significant speeds in a wide variety of conditions. "

DRIVING THE GAZON
Old Soviet trucks are a source of endless emotions. I'll start with the landing, which forces you to take the pose of the ideal schoolchild of the Soviet era with a straight back. The reason, apparently, is that the cabin turned out to be cramped for a normal backrest tilt. However, you quickly get used to it, and if you don't travel long distances, your back doesn't hurt. The instrument panel is an example of laconicism. The design is very similar to those that were installed on the army GMC or military Chevrolet. It's a pity that I didn't come across an earlier model with a KP-5 instrument cluster, which was installed on Soviet trucks in 1945-1955. The thing is incredibly beautiful. Which is not surprising, because outwardly it is copied one to one from the dashboard passenger cars Chevrolet 1940 model year... Unless, of course, you do not take into account the translated English inscriptions.

American style door cards are made of steel. In winter, of course, it is cold, especially since the "gas" stove is thoughtful and heats up the cabin rather slowly. That, however, is partially compensated by the hot breath of the loudly growling lower-valve "six", sensitively heating the bulkhead between the cab and the engine compartment. But in the summer, you can radically ventilate the cabin by raising the windshield. As in the old hooligan song of the Lyube group: "The wind in your mug, and I'm sparring!" Pleased with the abundance of memos designed to somehow protect a valuable car from a fool (read - a first-year conscript soldier). The picture is complemented by the floor pedals, including the "heel" for switching on the starter, and the button for switching the light from far to near.

The steering wheel is huge and due to the large gear ratio (and of course, there is no hydraulic booster) it turns easily. A damper, by the way, is also not provided. Therefore, even a small pebble, run over by the front wheel, you feel almost with your fingertips. An edge or a hole, if you are not ready for this, can even snatch the steering wheel out of your hands. The efforts on the clutch and brake, in my unspoiled opinion, are average. There are no amplifiers here either, but it doesn't bother much. Although after the super-soft clutches of modern passenger SUVs, the need is decisive, manly pushing with your foot can strain someone. The gear lever is puzzling with a tight and somehow "metallic" feel to switch on. And do not forget that this box is not synchronized at all, and therefore switching from double squeeze clutch is a must here. Moreover, when changing from higher gears to lower gears, re-gasification is required when transferring to neutral position. Otherwise, the transmission will simply not stick, and the checkpoint will emit a terrible rattle.

Off-road, the car behaves pretty well. Due to the developed lugs and a single-sided rear axle, it keeps well even on a track swollen from rain. Without problems (due to a short base of 3300 mm and a ground clearance of 270 mm) it overcomes huge boulders overgrown with grass on the island of Khortytsya (Zaporozhye). Curiously, the front axle can be engaged both on the spot and on the move, without squeezing the clutch! This is explained by the fact that the propeller shaft of the front axle drive and the drive shaft of the transfer case rotate at almost the same speed. To connect a downshift range multiplier, you need to either stop or slow down to the speed of a drunk pedestrian.

But on the pavement, the short wheelbase, coupled with the rigid spring suspension without load, make themselves felt. GAZ-63 funny goats even on small irregularities, and on a flat road begins to sway perceptibly in the longitudinal plane already at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. I considered it unwise to accelerate to a maximum of 65 km / h. What can you do, it is difficult to cross a tractor with a road car.

Work on the creation of four-wheel drive trucks in the USSR began in the late 30s. Until that time, GAZ-AA, the famous "lorries", which by the beginning of the 40s were already considered morally and technically obsolete and required replacement, constituted the basis of the country's freight vehicle fleet. In this regard, in the spring of 1938, the designers of the Gorky plant began to develop a new truck, or rather a whole family of trucks, off-road, which could be operated in difficult road conditions. All-wheel drive cargo chassis, which were the basis for trucks and armored vehicles, were two- and three-axle and differed among themselves, first of all, in the length of the base.

How the off-road GAZ 63 was created

A truck with a standard base length was assigned the GAZ 63 index. An experimental model was built in 1939, after which the car was sent for testing. Since during the development of the new model the main emphasis was placed on its all-terrain qualities, the truck could not boast of its original appearance - the cab for the prototype was installed from a "lorry". But this was not the main thing, because the chassis of the car was unique. GAZ 63 became the first off-road trucks with 4x4 drive and single tire tires.

In parallel with the development of an off-road truck at the Gorky Automobile Plant, a civil truck GAZ-11-51 (later GAZ 51) was being designed, with which most of the spare parts for GAZ 63 were unified. In the future, almost 80% unification of the main components made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of production of new cars, simplify operation, as well as use a single conveyor for their release. Some of the design developments and technical solutions that were used on the GAZ 51 and GAZ 63 were revolutionary for their time. So, unlike the pre-war models, the new cars received a fundamentally different layout - by installing the engine over the front axle of the trucks, the designers were able to increase the carrying capacity of the cars, while reducing their overall length. The brakes are now hydraulic.

Despite the fact that the trucks have successfully passed all the tests and were recommended for production, to start their production in the early 40s. it did not succeed - the Great Patriotic War prevented. Work on the creation of promising cars continued already in 1943, after the Soviet Army drove the Nazis to the west. True, by this time, only indices remained of the machines designed in the pre-war years: the war made its own adjustments, and in just a couple of years, science and technology made a step forward. In addition, the designers of the car plant "got to know closely" the American all-wheel drive trucks Studabeker and Shevrolet, which were assembled here, in Gorky, during the war under Lend-Lease. Of course, the engineers could not miss such an excellent opportunity to borrow part of the design developments of the Americans, although nevertheless the main components were designed by them independently or improved from the existing ones.

Design features of the car

The wheels and cab of the new GAZ 63, assembled in 1943, practically did not differ from the Studebaker US-6s. The same shortened hood, rectangular L-shaped fenders, a protective grill in front of the headlights. Some even confused the two cars. Later, the final version was presented, made similar to the GAZ 51 cab and having rounded fenders and large round headlights built into them. However, despite the redesigned design, the resemblance of the updated Soviet cockpit to the American prototype was still evident. Initially, the GAZ 63 cab was made of wood. there was an acute shortage of sheet metal in the country. Only in 1950 the cab was made combined - wood-metal, leaving only the doors made of wood. The all-metal cabin became in 1956, when the national economy had already recovered a little from the post-war devastation. There was not much space in the cockpit, the heater appeared only 4 years after the mass production of the car began, and the driver's seat was perhaps not rigid. However, what else could you expect from an army off-road truck?

The GAZ 63 cargo-passenger platform had high lattice wooden sides and was equipped with folding longitudinal benches for transporting people. Of course, there was no pleasure in driving this "hard" car, but driving is still better than walking, especially for the soldiers. On four arcs, installed in special nests, an awning was stretched, which protected from bad weather. The overall dimensions of GAZ 63 are 5,525 x 2,200 x 2,245 (height along the awning 2,810) mm. The carrying capacity of the car according to the passport is 2 tons (on dirt roads - 1.5 tons), for the GAZ 63A and GAZ 63 P modifications - 2.5 tons. The truck could also tow trailers weighing up to 2 tons, which significantly increased its functionality.

Trucks were actively used throughout the USSR

An experimental batch of new trucks, ready to undergo comprehensive tests, was manufactured in 1945, after the vehicles received the approval of Comrade Stalin I.V. and party leaders. The GAZ 63 got into serial production only in the fall of 1948, two years later than the GAZ 51. This all-terrain model with high technical characteristics and excellent cross-country ability was appreciated in the Soviet Army. Moving on viscous soil, ford up to 80 cm deep, almost half-meter loose snow cover, 70-centimeter ditches on the GAZ 63 was possible without unnecessary problems. Even a half-ton decrease in comparison with the GAZ 51, the payload did not beg for all the advantages of the truck. GAZ 63 was used to transport army personnel, to tow military weapons and to mount various combat installations. By the way, you can see an interesting test drive GAZ 63 below.

In the national economy, "sixty-third" also found their application, but they were used not so often, and mainly in the countryside. In the post-war period, the number of trucks, and even somewhere in the outback, was minimal, and the demand for cargo transportation was off scale, and therefore a considerable overload was considered, so to speak, the norm. Of course, it is a sin to doubt the reliability of the design of Soviet trucks, but with an increase in the load, the cross-country ability of cars dropped sharply, for which, in fact, this model was created. In addition, no one canceled the wear of parts and current breakdowns, and it was problematic to take care of the trucks in the countryside, since it was problematic in the army. Four-wheel drive on the village off-road turned out to be very useful, but the advantages of the lean-to were questionable. At first, craftsmen tried to improve the car on their own, later factory modifications of GAZ 63 with a dual-slope rear axle tire began to appear.

Another very significant drawback was the lack of stability of the car. The GAZ 63 all-terrain vehicle had a narrow track and a high-positioned body (ground clearance was 270 mm), so drivers often "laid" the car on its side, entering a turn at a higher than required speed. To a greater extent, a similar problem affected vans, cisterns and other special equipment installed on the chassis of the 63rd model.With care, it was necessary to drive on slopes or off-road - it was easy to overturn the truck, but to pull it out, it was worth trying. It is good if the car (model GAZ 63A) was equipped with a self-pulling means - a winch, the cable of which had a length of 65 m, and the pulling force was 4.5 tons!

Overview of technical specifications

The main thing is for the engine to cope ... GAZ 63 was equipped with a 6-cylinder in-line carburetor with a liquid cooling system GAZ 51, which did not differ in a significant power reserve. In fact, it was an improved GAZ 11, developed back in the early 30s. similar to the American Dodge D5. Its power is 70 hp. seems ridiculous by modern standards. The maximum speed that the truck developed was also low - 65 km / h. But the power reserve of the car was about 650 km.

The total volume of the main and additional fuel tanks is quite impressive - 195 liters. For 100 kilometers, the car consumed about 25-29 liters of A-66 gasoline. Much later, GAZ 63 diesel appeared, but these were home-made versions of the car. Together with the engine, a four-speed gearbox and a two-stage transfer case with a demultiplier worked. The clutch of the car was dry, single-plate. The designers equipped the front axle of GAZ 63 with ball joints of equal angular velocities of the Bendix Weiss type. The truck's axles were suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs.

The GAZ 63 truck chassis became the base for the creation of various special vehicles. On the roads one could find "lawns" with on-board platforms, vans, oil and fuel tankers. Also, a mobile repair shop, a communications vehicle, an ambulance, a firefighter GAZ 63, etc. were created. Since the bulk of the cars were created under government orders and supplied to the military, trucks were often equipped with KUNG bodies. At the same time, GAZ 63 KUNG was completely shielded, which made it possible to reduce the interference arising during the operation of communication equipment, hermetically sealed and incredibly warm.

The last GAZ 63 rolled off the factory assembly line in 1968. During the entire production period, almost half a million trucks of various modifications were assembled, a considerable part of which was exported to the countries of the socialist camp, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. All-terrain vehicles of the "sixty-third model", despite their considerable age, can be found today. Many car enthusiasts buy them on the secondary market, some are in excellent condition, with conservation. The price of GAZ 63 is low - from 20 to 150 thousand rubles.

Truck photo

March 26, 2018

1965 GAZ 63

GAZ-63- Soviet truck with a wheel arrangement of 4 × 4, with a carrying capacity of 2.0 tons. A total of 474,464 copies of all modifications were produced.

HISTORY

Car design began back in 1938. The first prototypes of the GAZ-63 were created before the Great Patriotic War in 1939 and 1940, serial production has been launched since 1948. The most massive all-wheel drive truck in the Soviet Army and in the national economy of the USSR in the 1950s and 60s. In 1968, it gave way to the GAZ-66 model. The degree of unification with the national economic model GAZ-51 is up to 80%.

The production lasted until 1968, a total of 474,464 cars were produced.

DESIGN FEATURES

The car had a frame structure, four-wheel drive with a disconnectable front axle (two propeller shafts to the drive axles and an intermediate one between the gearbox and the transfer case), short overhangs and single wheels with adjustable internal pressure.

Automobile tires measuring 10.00-18 ″ allowed, when driving on virgin snow or wetlands, to briefly reduce the pressure to 0.7 kg / cm 2. In this case, the speed of the vehicle should not exceed 10 km / h. The tire resource during such driving did not exceed 150 km (when operating with a normal pressure of 2.8 kg / cm 2, the guaranteed tire mileage is 10 thousand km). The compressor, of course, was missing. To inflate tires in the field, a device was used that was screwed into the engine instead of one of the spark plugs. The engine started and ran on five cylinders, the piston of one of the cylinders pumping air into the tires. You should not think that a gasoline-air mixture entered the tires. Inlet air valve the device had significantly lower resistance than intake manifold and a carburetor with oil bath air cleaner.

A preheating boiler was mounted under the hood on the right side of the engine. In winter, it was necessary to turn the steering wheel to the left, open the hatch in the fender of the right front wheel and insert a working blowtorch into the boiler fire tube. The liquid in the cooling system warmed up, the engine oil in the oil pan was warmed up with hot gases. When the "dry" engine was heated, 5 liters of water were poured into the boiler, followed by heating with the resulting steam. Then - starting the engine and adding water to the radiator.

The heater located in the cab was supplied with the help of electric fan warm air only on the windshield. Warm air was supplied to the feet of the driver and passenger only when the car was moving through the air intake opening behind the hood. It was cold in the cab of a parked car in winter.

The side panels of the hood lining were removable, which greatly facilitated engine cooling in the summer. The windshield frames rising up and down made the trip cool ( "With a breeze" and with the appropriate amount of road dust).

The body was a wooden platform with high sides and an opening tailgate.

MODIFICATIONS

• GAZ-63A- modification of the GAZ-63 with a winch with a pulling force of 4.5 tf and a drive through a power take-off. The curb weight is 3.52 tons versus 3.28 tons for the GAZ-63. Serial production in 1948-1968
• GAZ-63E- modification of GAZ-63 with shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-63AE- modification of GAZ-63A with a winch and shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-63U- modification of the GAZ-63 in the export version
• GAZ-63AU- modification of the GAZ-63A (with a winch) in the export version
• GAZ-63EU- modification of GAZ-63E (with shielded electrical equipment) in the export version
• GAZ-63Yu- modification of the GAZ-63 in the export tropical version
• GAZ-63EU- modification of the GAZ-63 in the export tropical version and shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-33 is an all-wheel drive three-axle (6 × 6) truck with a carrying capacity of 2.5-3.0 tons based on the GAZ-63. The prototype was built in 1946, but did not go into production due to insufficient power of the GAZ-51 engine, but the layout of the GAZ-33 drive axles was used for the ZIS-151 truck
• GAZ-63P- all-wheel drive truck tractor with dual-tire rear axle tires (there was also a modification with single-tire tires), serial production 1958-1968

GAZ-63 PMG-19

• GAZ-63 ATsU-20- fire tank truck
• GAZ-63 PMG-19- fire tank truck
• GAZ-63 AR-1.6- fire hose car
• GAZ-63 ASOP-5- fire engine communication and lighting
• AC-3 - an ambulance on a GAZ-63 chassis for transporting 7 stretchers and 2 sedentary patients or four lying and 6 sedentary or 14 only sedentary patients.
• BTR-40 (GAZ-40) - armored personnel carrier for 8 paratroopers plus 2 crew members. Created on GAZ-63 units in 1947. The engine is boosted to 80 hp. Serial production in 1950-1960. A further development of the BTR-40 was the BRDM-1 amphibious armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle, also created using the components and assemblies of the GAZ-63 and mass-produced in 1959-1966.

The history of the all-wheel drive truck of this brand began even before the Great Patriotic War. At the end of the 30s, mastering the production of the GAZ-11 engine, modeled on the American Dodge D5, opened the way for the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant to create new truck models, and the appearance of constant velocity joints (CV joints) made by Vitaly Grachev based on similar Bendix units -Weiss, paved the way for the production of all-wheel drive off-road vehicles. Then, with the participation of Vitaly Grachev and Pyotr Muzyukin, a whole family of all-wheel drive truck chassis was being developed, consisting of two-axle and three-axle vehicles with different base lengths, the basis for trucks and armored vehicles. The GAZ-63 index in this series of models was worn by a truck with a standard base length. The prototype was built and tested in 1939. He practically did not have an original appearance, since the cab was temporarily taken for him from the usual "lorry".

At the height of the war, in January 1943, the Chief Designer of GAZ, Andrei Lipgart, presented to the State Defense Committee a new type of cars, trucks and off-road vehicles that were planned to be produced on the field of war, and this project document was approved within a month. From that moment on, the development of a completely new chassis for the final version of the GAZ-63 began. This time it was conceived to unify it to the maximum with a conventional GAZ-51 road truck. Under the leadership of A.A. Lipgart, the creators of the GAZ-51, headed by the leading designer A.D. Prosvirnin and the creators of the GAZ-63, headed by the leading designer P.I. Muzyukin worked together. At the same time, the constructive developments introduced on American cars that entered the USSR under Lend-Lease were taken into account. Their screwdriver assembly was carried out in the workshops of GAZ, which gave unlimited opportunities for studying, testing any American units and using them in their experimental designs. For example, the first samples of the GAZ-63 built in December 1943 and the GAZ-51 in March 1944 were equipped with cabins and wheels taken from the Studebaker.

The prototypes of the new trucks acquired an original appearance with semicircular front fenders in the first half of 1945. Although the characteristic wedge-shaped bonnet remained a "reminder of the Studebaker", the "lawn" bonnet itself became a completely original piece in a different size than that of an American truck. These machines went into production with an angular wooden cabin, which also had no foreign analogues.

Some technical solutions tested on the experimental GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 of 1943-1945 and subsequently introduced on production vehicles can be considered a real breakthrough in comparison with the design of all domestic pre-war trucks, including the first prototypes of these models. First of all, the Gorky designers succeeded in a fundamentally new layout. The engine of the new GAZs was installed above the front axle, and not behind it, as was the case on previous Soviet trucks. As a result, it was possible to increase the capacity of the body, reducing the overall length of the vehicle. In the front suspension, one transverse "Ford" spring was replaced by a pair of longitudinal semi-elliptical springs. The mechanical drive of the brakes finally gave way to the hydraulic one. An engine upgrade can be considered a "local" upgrade. The GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 engines differed from the pre-war predecessor GAZ-11 with a carburetor with a falling rather than an upward flow of the mixture, the presence of a fine oil filter, an oil cooler, and forced crankcase ventilation.

The Gorky Automobile Plant mastered the production of GAZ-51 in 1946, and the more complex GAZ-63 - only in September 1948. In terms of details, the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 trucks were made unified by 80%, which greatly simplified and reduced the cost of production, made it possible to assemble both models on the same line of the main GAZ conveyor. GAZ-63 differed from the 51st in the presence of a two-stage transfer case, front drive axle, intermediate shaft and front wheel drive shaft, increased ground clearance, extended track. In the cab, in addition to the gear lever, there were two more levers, one of which connected the front axle, and the other switched the transfer case from the main to downshift... Also, GAZ-63 was equipped with original wheels with a tire diameter of 10.00-18. For the first time on a domestic off-road truck, rear wheels were used single-wheel. True, the GAZ-63P truck tractor differed in 20-inch wheels with disks from the GAZ-51 and a gable busbar at the rear - the fastening of the disks to the hubs on the 51st and 63rd was made the same.

A number of specific details are also characteristic of the GAZ-63: two gas tanks (one under the cab, the second on the left on the frame), the ability to install a pre-heater, a richer factory set of tools and special devices... Also, GAZ-63 received a cab heater earlier than GAZ-51.

The main body models: side platforms, vans, tank trucks, fuel and oil tankers, fire and ambulances could be installed with equal success on both GAZ-51 and GAZ-63. Even unified truck tractors were produced on the basis of both "lawns". True, on the basis of the GAZ-63 they did not build dump trucks, city sweepers, and cargo taxis. At the same time, the 63rd had specific modifications with attachments that were not installed on the GAZ-51: a rotary auger snow blower, a hydraulic crane-drilling machine BKGM-AN, a BM-14 multiple launch rocket launcher. Finally, only the GAZ-63 had a modification (GAZ-63A) with a winch in front of the radiator, driven by a long shaft from a power take-off.

The standard platform of the base model for the GAZ-51 was a classic wooden side platform, and for the GAZ-63 it was a cargo-passenger one, with high lattice sides and benches along the sides. But on the GAZ-51 chassis, the plant serially installed a platform from the GAZ-63, such a machine was called the GAZ-51N. There were modifications to the GAZ-51 with two gas tanks from the GAZ-63.

Both models were upgraded in parallel. In 1950, the wooden cabin was replaced by a combined one with stamped steel roof and rear wall and wooden doors. In 1956, it gave way to an all-metal one. In the early 1950s, the gearbox-driven tire pump was eliminated on both models.

In the very first years of production, it turned out that the GAZ-63 has excellent cross-country performance. He confidently stormed fords 80 cm deep, ditches 70 cm deep, loose snow 45 cm deep, on a solid road he took ascents up to 30 degrees. Decreased by half a ton compared to the GAZ-51, the carrying capacity was not considered a serious loss. The bulk of the vehicles entered the army, where they carried the personnel of motorized rifle units, they towed light and medium anti-tank artillery guns. The GAZ-63 gained immense popularity in the border troops, among paratroopers, sappers, signalmen, rear units and other types of troops. A smaller part of all-terrain vehicles worked in the national economy, mainly in the outback and in the countryside.

For the development and development of the GAZ-63 production in 1949, the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant received the Stalin Prize: P.I. Muzyukin, G.A. Vedenyapin, V.S. Polzikov, N.F. Strunnikov, V.A. Semenov, I.S. Ushakov. Subsequently, Pyotr Muzyukin became the Chief Designer of UAZ, under his leadership, the famous families of UAZ-450, UAZ-452, UAZ-469 vehicles were created.

In the 60s, an all-wheel drive truck of the next generation GAZ-66 appeared at GAZ. When the release of this model was brought to the required amount, it was decided to withdraw the GAZ-63 from production, which happened in 1968. In just two decades, the plant produced 474,464 vehicles of the GAZ-63 family. They were in service with the Soviet army until the end of the existence of the USSR, thousands of vehicles were stored in conservation in military equipment warehouses. At the end of the 80s, these cars or their chassis began to be sold to everyone, so in the last decade of the twentieth century, GAZ-63 again appeared on the roads. In the Military Technical Museum, the GAZ-63 is not exhibited as an exhibit, but is used as a vehicle for technical assistance. This truck can be seen at work when traveling to events, towing mock-ups of guns and other exhibits.

Technical specifications