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GAZ-51

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GAZ-51
Overview
ManufacturerGAZ
Also calledFSC Lublin-51 (Poland)
Sungri-58 (North Korea)
Yuejin NJ-130 (China)
Production1946–1979 (production in the USSR halted in 1975)[1]
Body and chassis
LayoutFR layout
Powertrain
Engine3.5L GAZ-51 I6
Transmission4-speed manual
Chronology
PredecessorGAZ-MM
SuccessorGAZ-53

The GAZ-51 (nickname Gazon) was a Soviet truck manufactured by GAZ. Its first prototypes were produced before the end of World War II, and the truck ended up using a heavily modified version of the Studebaker US6 cab, which was supplied to the Soviet Union in large quantities with the Lend-Lease agreement, although the chassis and internal mechanical parts were of Soviet origin and not shared with the American model.[2][3]

A 2.5 ton 4×2 standard variant[1] was joined in 1947 by almost identical 2 ton 4×4 GAZ-63. Both variants were powered by 70 PS (51 kW) 6-cylinder 3485 cc engines. GAZ-63s was manufactured with some changes until 1968 and production of the GAZ-51 continued until 2 April 1975. The trucks were also manufactured under Soviet license in Poland (as the FSC Lublin-51), North Korea (as the Sungri-58) and China (as the Yuejin NJ-130).[4][5]

History

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USSR postage stamp No. 4579. 1976
Former Estonian military truck

Design of the GAZ-51, which was originally called GAZ-51-420 (and not GAZ-11-51, as is sometimes claimed) according to the “chassis model number - body model number” system, copied from Ford, began in February 1937.[6] The concept of the vehicle was formulated extremely clearly: a simple and reliable general truck, assembled from the best components of the time, well-proven and tested by world practice.

The engine installed on the truck was the 6-cylinder GAZ-11-73, most famously used in the passenger car of the same name, and a copy of the Chrysler flathead engine. By 1939, the first prototypes of the GAZ-51 truck had been built. Apart from the gearbox and transmission, the GAZ-51 retained no other parts from the older GAZ-MM, and had a new chassis, axles, and cab, with a more streamlined style, resembling Dodge and GMC trucks of the same time. The truck initially had a payload of 2 tons.

Further work on the project was halted by 1940 due to the Great Patriotic War, and did not resume until 1943. By the import of Lend-Lease products and the influence they had on Soviet developments, the GAZ-51 significantly changed it's appearence. Essentially, only the chassis and engine were retained from the 1939 prototypes, and the now the trucks recieved the cab from the Studebaker US6, alongside it's stronger tires, which were double on the rear part. This helped raise the carrying capacity from 2 to 2.5 tons, the same as the Studebaker. The choice of having the Studebaker influencing the Soviet GAZ truck was not accidental; the Studebaker US6 was exported in significant numbers to the Soviet Union and was succesfully used by it's army, as it proved more reliable and had better quality than Soviet trucks of the time.[7]

During this time, an all-wheel drive version of the truck, the GAZ-63, also began to be developed. Most of the parts between these trucks are interchangeable, with the most notable differences being that the GAZ-63 has a higher stance and a reinforced chassis and axles.

In May and September 1944, two new models of the GAZ-51 were built (still with the Studebaker cab, but with a re-styled front end), and in June 1945, two more, finally developed (pre-production) ones were built. Confidence in the high quality of the new truck design allowed the plant to immediately begin preparations for its production. On June 19, 1945, the GAZ-51, along with other new Soviet cars, was shown to members of the government in the Kremlin and received full approval.

Production

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GAZ-51 in Moscow

The plant set up production of the truck very quickly - the wartime experience had an impact . Already at the end of 1945, an initial batch of two dozen vehicles was produced, and in 1946, even before the completion of tests, the country received 3,136 production trucks of the new generation.

In 1947, the creators of the GAZ-51, together with the chief designer of the plant, A. A. Lipgart, were awarded the Stalin Prize.

Since the late 1940s, the assembly of the GAZ-51 was additionally organized at the Irkutsk (1950-1952) and Odessa (1948-1975) plants. In a short time, the GAZ-51 became the most common vehicle in the country. In 1958, the annual production of GAZ-51 reached its peak - over 173 thousand. The truck was produced for 29 years - a rather rare longevity. The last GAZ-51A rolled off the assembly line on April 2, 1975 and was sent to the factory museum. The total circulation of “lawns” was 3,481,033 copies, including 11,418 cars produced at the Irkutsk Automobile Assembly Plant.

Polish production of Lublin-51 trucks lasted from 1951 to 1959 and amounted to 17,479 units.[8]

In 1958, production of the GAZ-51 (under the name “Sungri-58”) began at the Tokchon Automobile Plant in the city of Tokchon.[9]

Design

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GAZ-51F engine from the exhibition of the Museum of History of OJSC GAZ, Nizhny Novgorod.
GAZ-51 Engine
The inscription on the side of the hood of an early GAZ-51
The inscription on the side of the hood of a late-production GAZ-51

The progressive layout of the GAZ-51 truck (the engine and cab were moved forward, which, with a relatively short base, made it possible to have a fairly long platform) has become traditional for trucks with a bonnet layout.

The truck used the GAZ-11-73 6-cylinder engine, which was used in the passenger car of the same and some tanks around that time, and was a copy of the Chrysler flathead engine, and the necessary tooling for production was purchased in 1937, but mass-production of the engine did not start until 1940.[10][11] Despite being designed in 1928, the engine was constantly modernized and remained in production until the early 1960s, being relatively advanced for these years, which was especially noticeable in comparison with the archaic Ford A type engines that were in production at GAZ in those years.

Many technical innovations used in the truck were later used by Soviet automakers on other cars. These include wear-resistant engine cylinder liners made of special cast iron, chrome-plated piston rings, radiator shutters, a pre-heater powered by a blowtorch, and an oil cooler, the use of which dramatically increased the durability of the engine, and thin-walled bimetallic crankshaft liners (steel-babbitt, instead of filled with babbitt bearings without liners, and later steel-aluminium).

On the GAZ-51, for the first time in the USSR, and quite successfully, such solutions that later became generally accepted as an aluminum block head, plug-in valve seats, adjustable mixture heating, double oil filtration, closed crankcase ventilation, easily removable brake drums, and much more were used.

The truck has been constantly modernized over the years. Its improvement was carried out by leading designer B.I. Shikhov. The power supply system was improved, the wooden cabin first became combined (in 1950), and then all-metal. In 1954 it began to be heated. The car's own weight decreased from year to year, dropping by 1962 to 2296 kg. On the GAZ-51A, the production of which began in 1955, the platform was enlarged, folding side walls were installed on it, and a more reliable and effective hand brake was installed. For the first time in the country, a hydraulic vacuum brake booster was used on the GAZ-51P truck tractor.

The GAZ-51 engine also turned out to be quite resilient and durable.[citation needed] Being produced since 1946, the engine was also used in the GAZ-52 truck until 1989, and also buses, tractors, and special vehicles. A improved variant of this engine (boosted to 90 hp by installing two carburetors and equipped with a fluid coupling) was also used on GAZ-12 passenger cars, and then the BTR-40, BTR-60, and BRDM-1 amphibious armoured personnel carriers.

The design of the GAZ-51 influenced the design of other trucks - the Kutaisi KAZ-150 and the Ural UralZIS-355M. Nevertheless, the GAZ-53 and GAZ-52, which started production in the 1960s, were completely different in appearence from the Studebaker-like design of the GAZ-51 and had a more modern style, at least externally, as internally they retained many parts from the GAZ-51 truck. Some parts of the old truck were still used in the GAZ-3307/3309 up until the 2010s.

FSC Lublin-51

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Main article: FSC Lublin-51
Lublin-51 truck

In December 1948, a decision was made to begin production of trucks under the license of the GAZ-51 model at the pre-war Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein plants in Lublin. The agreement with the Soviets was signed on July 22, 1950. According to initial assumptions, the plant's annual production was to be approximately 12,000 copies, but at the end of 1950 the production capacity was increased to 25,000 pieces per year. The first copy of this truck was assembled on November 7, 1951, from parts supplied by the licensor.[citation needed]

Modernizations were carried out during production. A new type of carburetor with a vacuum-controlled saver was used, the vacuum wiper drive system was replaced with electric motors and a fully metal cabin was put into production.[citation needed]

Despite the modernization, it was not possible to eliminate the basic drawbacks of this vehicle: too low load capacity for a truck and high fuel consumption. Production ended in June 1959, after 17,479 units had been produced.[citation needed]

Various versions of bodies were mounted on the chassis of the FSC Lublin-51 model, such as a cargo box, van bodies produced by Zakłady Budowy Adżużu Samochodowych in Nysa, bodies for traveling cinemas, repair workshops and sanitary bodies type N-243, produced by Zakłady Budowy Adżużu Samochodowych in Nysa (Jelcz).[citation needed]

The model was replaced by the Polish developed FSC Żuk delivery vehicle. A total of 17,479 examples of the FSC Lublin-51 were produced.

Variants

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GAZ-51, side mirrors from GAZ-53 installed
  • GAZ-11-51: Precursor of GAZ-51.

Original version

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  • GAZ-51: Standard production version.[1] Produced 1946–1955.
  • GAZ-51B: Dual-fuel (LNG and gasoline) version. Produced 1950-1956.
  • GAZ-51D: Shortened version (for dump body). Produced from 1958.
    • GAZ-51DU: Export version.
    • GAZ-51DYu: Export version for tropical climates.
  • GAZ-51I: Cowl-chassis version (for buses). Produced 1950–1973.
    • GAZ-51IU: Export version.
    • GAZ-51IYu: Export version for tropical climates.
  • GAZ-51K: Ambulance chassis (for GAZ-653 and later PAZ-653). Produced 1951-1957.
  • GAZ-51KYu: Export version for tropical climates.
  • GAZ-51M: Cab-chassis version (for fire trucks). Produced 1948-1967.
  • GAZ-51N: Troop/cargo carrier version, with an extra fuel tank and GAZ-63 body. Produced 1948–1975.
    • GAZ-51NU: Export version.
  • GAZ-51Zh: LPG-powered version. Produced 1954–1963.
    • GAZ-51ZhU: Export version.

Modernized version

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  • GAZ-51A: Modernized GAZ-51. Produced 1956–1975.
    • GAZ-51AS: Farm truck version. Produced 1956-1975.
    • GAZ-51AU: Export version. Produced 1956–1975.
  • GAZ-51C: Farm truck version. Produced 1956–1975.
  • GAZ-51P: Tractor-trailer version. Produced 1956–1975.
    • GAZ-51PU: Export version.
    • GAZ-51PYu: Export version for tropical climates.
  • GAZ-51R: Passenger and freight taxi version. Produced 1956–1975.
    • GAZ-51RU: Export version.
  • GAZ-51S: GAZ-51A with an additional fuel tank. Produced 1956-1975.
    • GAZ-51SE: Version with shielded electrical equipment.
  • GAZ-51ShM: Lengthened version (for van bodies). Produced 1956-1965.
  • GAZ-51T: Cargo taxi version. Produced 1956–1975.
  • GAZ-51V: Export version.
  • GAZ-51Yu: Export version for tropical climates. Produced 1956-1975.

GAZ-63 variants

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  • GAZ-63: 4×4 version. Produced 1948–1968.
    • GAZ-63A: Version with front-mounted winch.
      • GAZ-63AU: Export version.
    • GAZ-63D: Tractor-trailer version (for dump trailers). Unlike the GAZ-63, the GAZ-63D had dual rear wheels.
    • GAZ-63E: Bus chassis (for PAZ-659 and PAZ-663)
      • GAZ-63EU: Export version.
    • GAZ-63P: Tractor-trailer version (for semi trailers). Like the GAZ-63D, it featured dual rear wheels but lacked the PTO of the GAZ-63D.
      • GAZ-63PU: Export version.
    • GAZ-63Ye: Version with shielded electrical equipment.
      • GAZ-63AYe: As GAZ-63Ye but with front-mounted winch.
      • GAZ-63YeU: Export version of GAZ-63Ye.
    • GAZ-63U: Export version.
    • GAZ-63V: Prototype modernized version of GAZ-63. It featured larger wheels, a lowered loading platform, a parking brake, shielded electrical equipment, rear turn signals and a coolant overheat warning indicator.
      • GAZ-63AV: As GAZ-63V except with a front-mounted winch, a canvas topped cab, all metal body with stretcher mounts, a canvas loading compartment cover, a new instrument panel and unshielded electrical equipment.
    • GAZ-63Yu: Export version for tropical climates.
    • GAZ-66: Prototype improved version of GAZ-63. It featured wheels and axles from the BRDM-1 and a new, more modern cab (designed by B.B. Lebedev); this cab was also intended for the GAZ-52.
    • GAZ-66A: Prototype replacement for the GAZ-63. The chassis, engine, cab and suspension were from the GAZ-52F, the loading platform, transfer case and winch from the GAZ-63, axles from the GAZ-63V and wheels from the BAV 485.
    • GAZ-66P: Prototype tractor-trailer, based on the GAZ-66A and intended as a replacement for the GAZ-63P.

Other variants

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  • GAZ-51AZh: Prototype dual-fuel (LPG and gasoline) version. Produced in 1963.
  • GAZ-51PZh: Prototype LPG-fueled tractor-trailer version. Produced in 1956.
  • GAZ-51F: GAZ-51 with experimental stratified charge engine. Cancelled due to complexity and numerous malfunctions.
  • GAZ-51Shch: Prototype version with an alkaline iron-nickel battery. Produced in 1958.
  • AP-41/GAZ-41: Prototype halftrack based on the GAZ-51. Produced 1949-1953.
  • GAZ-93: Dump truck version (built by OdAZ). Produced 1951–1958.
    • GAZ-93D: Crop truck version. Produced 1954-1956.
  • GAZ-93A: Modernized GAZ-93 (built by SAZ). Produced 1958–1976.
  • GAZ-93B: Version with a larger all-metal dump body, replacement for GAZ-91D. Produced 1956-1958 at OdAZ, then transferred to SAZ in 1959.

Operators

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Literature

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  • Andy Thompson, Trucks of the Soviet Union: The Definitive History, Behemoth Publishing LTD, 2017. ISBN 978-0992876951

References

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  1. ^ a b c инженер Л. Шугуров. Грузовики // журнал "Наука и жизнь", № 12, 1979. стр.30-32
  2. ^ "Свой парень: ретротест грузовика ГАЗ-51". Za Rulem. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  3. ^ "ГАЗ-51: автомобиль, почти построивший коммунизм". matador.tech. Dmitriy Yurasov. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  4. ^ MADE IN NORTH KOREA, China Motor Vehicle Documentation Centre. "SUNGRI 58". Chinesecars. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  5. ^ de Feijter, Tycho (5 February 2012). "History: the Nanjing Yuejin NJ130 truck". Car News China. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  6. ^ Дашко, Дмитрий (31 March 2015). Советские грузовики 1919-1945 (in Russian). {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Кануников, Сергей. "Двадцать лет без войны : Как создавался полноприводный грузовик ГАЗ-63 : Off-road drive". www.off-road-drive.ru. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Архив За рулем #09 Сентябрь 1991 год". www.zr.ru. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  9. ^ КНДР строит автомобили // журнал «За рулем», № 12, 1974. стр.36
  10. ^ Алексеенко, Артем. "Двигатель машины". www.gaz20.spb.ru. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  11. ^ Кириндас, Александр. ""Двигатель" №4 (40) 2005 г. ТУРБУЛЕНТНОСТЬ, ВИХРИ И ЖГУТЫ". engine.aviaport.ru. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
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