ZIL-135

The machine was equipped with two ZIL-123F engines with a capacity of 120 liters. from. each installed behind the cab (on the following car models ZIL-375 engines were used). Each engine rotated the wheels of its side, which provided additional survivability of the machine. Due to the use of low-pressure tires , as well as because of the desire to minimize the weight of the machine, the designers decided to abandon the elastic suspension as such. Subsequently, on models 135L / LM, to eliminate galloping (longitudinal swaying), which distinguished previous machines of the 135th family, it was decided to return an independent torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers to the wheels of the extreme bridges, while maintaining a rigid attachment to the frame of the two middle bridges.

The wheels of the extreme axles are made rotary. Other parameters, including dimensions, load capacity, suspension design, the ability to swim, wheelbase and so on, varied widely from one model to another.

The cab was made of fiberglass to facilitate the machine and increase load capacity.

ZIL-135P - floating platform, all-terrain vehicle , amphibious assault landing vehicle . The design was developed in 1965 on the basis of ZIL-135. The all-terrain vehicle was widely exploited in the Arctic , Baltic and Barents Seas. Withstands a five-point storm and can storm thin ice. The front and rear axles are swivel, which allows you to make turns on the spot. The machine passed all the tests successfully, but it was not entered into service with the Armed Forces of the USSR and was not mass-produced ^[1] .

ZIL-135LM - wheeled non - floating all-terrain vehicle . It was produced at the Bryansk Automobile Plant ( BAZ ). It was hastily developed on the basis of the ZIL-135L model and differed from it by replacing a complex automatic transmission with a mechanical one, from where the letter “M” appeared in the name. The creator of the family of cars, Vitaly Grachev, was categorically against such a decision, calling it a “step back”, but the Bryansk Automobile Plant was not able to produce hydromechanical gearboxes (according to one version, it was a protest after the cancellation of the production of its own design BAZ-930), and the car with The manual transmission went into series, eventually becoming the most massive in the family.

Manual gearboxes significantly worsened many of the characteristics of the machine. The torque converters in the original version of the machine well compensated for the difference in the torque characteristics of the left and right side engines. In the case of a mechanical transmission, this was not possible, and to ensure acceptable driving characteristics, it was necessary to carry out complex adjustments of carburetors and ignition devices for left and right side motors to ensure their synchronous operation, especially in transient conditions. Of great difficulty was the adjustment of two clutches for synchronous operation. In practice, especially during the period of combat work, to achieve all this was extremely difficult. As a result, the power units of most machines worked non-synchronously: the engine of one of the sides was “leading” (developed excess power), and the second was “driven” (developed insufficient power), which led to their premature wear. At the same time, the “driving” engine wore out due to overload, and the “driven”, which essentially slowed down the “driving” one, wore out even faster due to flushing oil from the cylinder walls with unburned gasoline. When starting off, due to the unsynchronous operation of engines and clutches, the car often noticeably turned, which led to a fall while driving along narrow bridges and entering railway platforms.

The disadvantages of a machine with a mechanical transmission were fully manifested during the fighting in Afghanistan. Since at that time it was the only chassis for the Uragan RZSO, attempts were made to improve the performance of already existing cars by installing instead of two gasoline power units a single YaMZ-240, KamAZ-740 or 1D12 diesel engine (with hydromechanical transmission) with Transmission and double-hull differential. However, the differential servicing four bridges at once turned out to be bulky, heavy and unreliable. It became obvious that a machine with such a transmission scheme had outlived its century, and in the future the Bryansk Automobile Plant was already implementing other drive schemes.

Specifications :

• Track, mm - 2300
• Base, mm - 6300
• Curb weight , kg - 10500
• Torque , kgm (rpm.) - 2 × 47.5 (950)
• Obstacles to overcome:
  • trench - 3.6 m
  • vertical wall - 0.9 m
  • ford - 1.3 m

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• China
• Cameroon
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Iran
• Libya
• North Korea
• Syria
• Ukraine
• Yemen

Ever Used

• Algeria
• Bulgaria
• Czechoslovakia
• East Germany

• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Poland
• Romania
• South Yemen
• the USSR
• Yugoslavia

• Wheel all-terrain vehicle ZIL-135LM.
• ZIL-135L / ZIL-135LM.
• ZIL-135P.
• Specifications ZIL-135.
• About modifications of ZIL-135.