The KamAZ-4355 is the odd one out among KamAZ trucks: a six-by-six with a bonneted layout, in which the engine sits in front of the cab instead of under it. Only a few examples were built in the early 2000s, as a flatbed and as a chassis for superstructures.
KamAZ-4355 at a glance
| Maker | KamAZ, Naberezhnye Chelny |
|---|---|
| Production | early 2000s, a few examples |
| Layout | 6×6, bonneted, engine in front of the cab |
| Kerb weight | 10,950 kg |
| Payload | 10,000 kg |
| Gross weight | 21,100 kg |
| Engine | KamAZ-740.30-260, 10.85 l V8, Euro 2 |
| Power | 191 kW (260 hp) |
| Gearbox | ten-speed manual |
| Tyres | 425/85 R21 with pressure regulation |
| Flatbed | 5,160 × 2,330 mm |
| Top speed | 90 km/h |
| Turning radius | 13.4 m |
The article is based on one source, the Russian Wikipedia page on the KamAZ-4355.
History of the KamAZ-4355
KamAZ built its reputation on cab-over lorries, with the cab sitting directly above the engine. The 4355 went the other way: it was a bonneted truck of conventional layout, with the engine mounted longitudinally at the front and the cab placed behind it, without a sleeping place. Only a few single examples were made in the early 2000s, in a flatbed version and as a chassis for fitting various superstructures, so the model never became a series product.
In its mechanical layout the 4355 was close to the heavier off-road KamAZ trucks of the time. The engine was the KamAZ-740.30-260, a 10.85-litre V8 turbodiesel of 260 hp in Euro 2 form, coupled to a ten-speed manual gearbox. The three-axle chassis carried single 425/85 R21 tyres with a pressure-regulation system, and the flatbed measured 5,160 by 2,330 mm. The lorry weighed 10,950 kg empty and could carry ten tonnes, for a gross weight of 21,100 kg, with a top speed of 90 km/h and a gradient capability of 30 per cent.
The bonnet cost the model manoeuvrability: the turning radius was 13.4 m, against the 11.3 to 11.5 m of the cab-over trucks of similar size. That figure, together with the fact that KamAZ’s customers were used to cab-over machines, helps to explain why the 4355 stayed a handful of prototypes rather than a production model.
Design and features
- Bonneted layout: the engine in front of the cab, unusual for a KamAZ.
- Heavy-duty running gear: a 6×6 chassis with single 425/85 R21 tyres and tyre-pressure regulation.
- 260 hp V8: the KamAZ-740.30-260 with a ten-speed manual gearbox.
- Ten-tonne payload: 10,950 kg empty and 21,100 kg gross.
- Rare: only single examples were built in the early 2000s.
KamAZ-4355 versions
- KamAZ-4355 flatbed: the lorry with a 5,160 by 2,330 mm body.
- KamAZ-4355 chassis: a bare chassis for mounting superstructures.
- Single examples: the model was built in a few units rather than in series.
The cab-over KamAZ-43118 uses the same 260 hp engine, and the three-axle KamAZ-6350 is the plant’s other heavy off-road lorry. More trucks are in the KamAZ collection.
Sources
- КАМАЗ-4355, Russian Wikipedia: history, specifications
