Hood KamAZ - sports modification for participation in the rally Paris - Dakar

Trucks KamAZ in its current modifications provide transportation in virtually all areas and throughout Russia. Due to their high carrying capacity, KamAZ trucks operate in the heaviest areas, in the mining industry, on large-scale construction, in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Reliable trucks can be found everywhere: in northern latitudes, in logging, in the south, in the steppe. Everywhere for powerful machines there is an application.

Disadvantages and advantages

Previously, all cars of the KamAZ model range were produced in a hatchless version, when the cab is located directly above the engine. In terms of layout, this scheme is flawless, but if you consider the car on other criteria, you can note a number of shortcomings. First of all, the balance of the chassis and the highly placed center of gravity are poor. However, these conditional flaws are not considered an excuse for reworking the machine, which has been produced for many years at the largest, well-equipped Kama Automobile Plant.

Not so long ago, a hooded KamAZ was developed, it was done as part of the development of the main project. Specialists of the Kama enterprise took the example from the "Mazovians" who developed the hood modification in Minsk. New cars have already proven themselves as reliable tractors and dump trucks with a low center of gravity, stable under all road conditions.

Stimulus

To create such a modification as a hooded KamAZ, the desire of the Kama plant team to get new modern sports cars for the Paris-Dakar Rally and other similar events was the impetus.

First of all, the constant and uncompromising rivalry between KamAZ-master and the team of Iveco, whose leader is Gerard de Roy, played a role. Since the trucks of the firm "Iveko" have a hood arrangement, they automatically receive a number of advantages. Resilience to the distance, maneuverability, acceleration and other factors ensure the machines of the Dutch-Polish team a good chance of winning.

Created kapotny rally KamAZ does not look like something special, but the parameters of a fundamentally new design allow us to hope for good results. However, it is too early to talk about this, it should take some time, the car will take part in a number of competitions, after which it will be possible to draw conclusions. In the meantime, the first sports KAMAZ hood layout is tested.

Design

The development of the modification was limited to a number of technical conditions that dictate the format and regulations of the Dakar Rally. In other words, the creators of the new truck had no scope for action. In addition, the whole matter was complicated by the lack of cabs of the hood type at the Kama plant, which were never there. Production in them did not need. It would be too costly to create a new type of booth, but the management could not invest significant amounts of money into the undeveloped production. Therefore, an alternative decision was made - to order several booths in Germany.

Power point

Hood KAMAZ for Dakar is designed on the basis of the model 4326, almost all the running gear was used without changes, it was necessary only to increase the wheelbase. However, the search for rational solutions did not end there. The engine also needed a new one, as the previous Liebherr engine did not have the necessary characteristics. The Czech colleagues from Buggyra helped solve the problem of the power plant. Specialists recommended to use one of the models of the motor brand Caterpillar, which in almost all parameters corresponded to the tasks.

"Frame" problems

The next pressing issue in creating the KamAZ racing was the alignment of the chassis with the location of the engine. The motor was too high and could affect the overall balance. This issue was decided to postpone until the completion of the work on the distribution of weight of all units and assemblies on the frame structure. In addition, with increasing the axle distance of the running gear, and it increased significantly, it was necessary to strengthen the longitudinal beams of the frame. Racing in the desert is dangerous because of the twisting effect, when the front and rear wheels are in different planes. At such times, opposing loads act on the elongated rectangle of the frame, which can break the channel structure.

Heat Exchangers

Besides, Kapitan KamAZ presented another surprise to the developers. These are two heat exchangers, connected with the turbo-charging of air on a diesel engine. In the previous version, these devices were located on the sides of the engine compartment at a sufficient distance from each other, as this requires technology to use them. The hood KAMAZ does not have a motor space of the necessary width, and there is nowhere to place heat exchangers. And if you install them at close range from each other, there may be breakages in the way.

Technical characteristics of the bonnet version

Dimensions, power unit, transmission:

• The length of the hooded truck is 6.9 meters;
• Height along the roof line - 3.05 meters;
• The width of the car is 2.55 meters;
• Engine brand - "Caterpillar C13";
• Type of engine - diesel with turbo;
• Number of cylinders - 6;
• Configuration - in-line arrangement;
• Working volume of cylinders - 12,5 liters;
• Torque - 4000 Nm at a speed of 1500 rpm;
• The maximum power is 980 liters. from.;
• Capacity of the fuel tank - 1000 liters;
• Transmission - gearbox ZF 165251;
• Number of speeds - 16;
• Clutch type - friction;
• Clutch - pneumatic.

Cost

There is no free sale of hooded KamAZ trucks, since the KamAZ-Master team has the exclusive right to own sports modifications and no purchase or sale is planned at this stage. The KAMAZ hood, the price for which has already been determined by the calculation and economic method, can be conditionally sold for an amount of about five million rubles. However, a truck that can not be used under normal conditions is unlikely to need anyone. Thus, the KamAZ racing, the price of which is expressed in a seven-digit figure, can not be bought or sold at the present time.