MAZ-525 dumper truck: specifications, description and reviews

MAZ-525 - Soviet heavy-duty dump truck - was developed in 1949 at a factory in Yaroslavl. The project received the designation YAAZ-225. Initially, the chassis was planned to install an asymmetric cockpit from the YaAZ-200 model. However, soon all the technical documentation was transferred to the Minsk Automobile Plant for further development, and in this way a completely new MAZ-525 was built-a dump truck that was designed to solve numerous transport problems in the national economy of the USSR.

Start of release

Serial production of the car began in 1950 and continued until 1959. During this period, more than 800 MAZ-525 dump trucks were manufactured. The exterior of the car of different years of production was about the same, the manufacturer was not faced with the task of making the car more attractive. All attention was focused only on technical issues aimed at improving driving performance and increasing the carrying capacity.

Nevertheless, it was necessary to designate some symbols on the machine. The popular Belarusian animal was chosen for the symbolic image - it became a bison. A small chrome figure of a powerful wild bull was placed on both sides of the MAZ-525 hood. On later batches of dump trucks the "bison" was simply stamped out on the side panel of the hood.

Towing

In 1952, the MAZ-E-525D truck tractor was created on the base platform . The machine was designed to work in conjunction with a fifteen-foot scraper D-189.

And in 1954 they created a unique trolley truck with dumper functions, which proved to be very useful in construction. Later, another trolley car was built, more powerful, capable of carrying multi-ton cargoes on electric traction.

Aeroflot

In 1959 Rosaviatsia ordered the Minsk plant several wheeled airfield tractors, called MAZ-541.

After fulfilling such a responsible task, the MAZ plant was re-profiled a little, and a new tractor was manufactured in the shops , which was already manufactured under a different brand - BelAz-525A. A powerful towing device worked in conjunction with a forty-five-ton semitrailer "5271".

In 1959, the MAZ-525 and Belaz-525A began to go off the assembly line. In the fifties and sixties, when the construction of several dams was deployed simultaneously, all dump trucks were sent to Krasnoyarsk, and from there further, to Siberia. In addition, a huge number of Minsk dump trucks were supplied to Egypt, for the construction of the Aswan Dam.

At that time, the MAZ-525's carrying capacity, which was fourteen tons, was considered quite a serious load. However, the number of volumes intended for transportation was much higher. Then the business executives of the USSR tried to solve the problem by increasing the number of vehicles. More dump trucks - more tonnokilometrov. At first glance, the solution is quite logical and reasonable. However, immediately the question arose of the repair base of the rolling stock. It simply was not. The new dump trucks started to break down two years after the start of work. And it turned out that instead of repairing the car drove off to a dead end and forgot about it.

Increase of carrying capacity

In a word, nothing happened. Then they began to think how to increase the carrying capacity of MAZ-525 at least twice. And again the development of such a truck was commissioned by the Minsk KB. The main task for the entire team was the creation of a quarry dump truck, because such a car did not need high-speed qualities, and the undercarriage did not need shock absorbers with springs in principle. At the forefront of the installation of power, the power of the machine, its nominal traction depended on everything.

Career orientation

The problem was brewing for a long time, so the decision was made quickly. In 1951, the MAZ-525 mining dump truck went into production. Constructive changes were unimportant, the radiator grill of the semicircular made straight, removed the attributes from the wings.

The car was equipped with a three-hundred Barnaul engine on 12 cylinders of V-shaped arrangement. The giant's wheels were more than two meters in diameter. The carrying capacity increased to 25 tons, then it was possible to add another 5 tons, MAZ-525 total began to raise thirty tons, and this was a real breakthrough.

MAZ-525: technical specifications

The task of the car was transportation of quarrying. The first years showed that the decision to create a powerful "slow-moving" was correct. The quarry dump truck was produced until 1965, after which it was transferred to the newly opened BelAz in Zhodzina. Technical characteristics of the MAZ-525 car required further development.

The first MAZ-525 Zhodino production went off the assembly line on November 1, 1958. And then the recession of the quarry dump started. First, the car was connected to a tipper semitrailer designed to transport 40 tons of bulk cargo. The idea was sound in itself, but failed the engine, it simply did not have enough power - did not pull. I had to refuse.

Progress is inevitable

Then at "BelAz" they widely launched the production of a simple career "workaholic", which they collected before. Hundreds of new dump trucks were pulled into different countries, in all directions. And this was the right way, because it gave impetus to the beginning of production of today's super-giants, such as Belaz-75710, which is capable of transporting 360 tons of any quarry cargo at a time, and even unloading it in parts where the mine surveyor will point.

Zhodino today

But before the era of giants with electric drives on all wheels comes, in Zhodino took up the development of BelAz-540 - the ancestor of the Pleiad "75710" and its like. And the release of MAZ-525 ended in 1965, and this car will never be forgotten, since it is an example of a true worker. Monuments "five hundred and twenty-five" are put wherever the memory of the dump truck is preserved.

"Zhodino" is now an international pilgrimage center for business executives from all over the world. Dump trucks, carrying capacity from 360 to 540 tons, were suddenly needed by Negroes in Africa and Aleuts in the Far North. Career development will always, more and more minerals are mined. In addition, the cost of orange giants is much lower than that of the Japanese "Kamatsu" or American "Caterpillar". So the direct course in Zhodzina!