The KrAZ-214 was a heavy off-road truck with three driven axles, designed for extreme conditions. It was created at the Yaroslavl motor plant in the early 1950s and produced there from 1956 to 1959 as the YaAZ-214, after which the truck line was moved to Kremenchuk and the vehicle became the KrAZ-214.
KrAZ-214 at a glance
| Maker | YaAZ, Yaroslavl, 1956–1959; KrAZ, Kremenchuk, from 1959 |
|---|---|
| Layout | 6×6, three driven axles |
| Engine | 6.97-litre diesel, six cylinders |
| Power | 205 PS at 2000 rpm |
| Torque | 765 Nm at 1300 rpm |
| Top speed | 55 mph |
| Trailer weight | up to 50 tonnes |
| Production | 1956–1963; the 214B continued to 1967 |
| Users | Soviet Armed Forces, oil and gas industry |
| Chassis for | PMP pontoon park, TMM bridge, E-305V excavator, 2K5 Korshun launcher |
History of the KrAZ-214
The truck was designed in 1951 at the Yaroslavl automobile plant (YaAZ) as a successor to the YaG-10 lorries. Series production began in 1956 under the name YaAZ-214. In 1958 the Soviet government decided to rebuild a plant at Kremenchuk for heavy trucks and moved heavy lorry manufacture there from Yaroslavl, together with the plans for new models. The YaAZ-214 was built until 1959, and from 1960 the same machine was assembled in Kremenchuk as the KrAZ-214.
The KrAZ-214 was intended to carry cargo and to tow trailers of up to 50 tonnes. Most of the vehicles went to the Soviet armed forces and to the oil and gas industry; some were used at airports as aircraft tugs. The type was also the base chassis for a long list of military equipment: the PMP pontoon bridge park, the TMM heavy mechanised bridge, the E-305V and EOV-4421 excavators, a tractor for heavy artillery crews, an aviation refuelling truck and the launcher of the 2K5 Korshun tactical missile complex.
The KrAZ-214 was produced in Kremenchuk from 1960 to 1963. In 1962 it was modernised as the KrAZ-214B, which received a 24-volt electrical system and an improved suspension; this version was built from 1963 to 1967, when the line gave way to the KrAZ-255. A 2K5 Korshun launcher on the KrAZ-214 chassis is kept at the military-historical museum of artillery, engineer and signal troops, and a restored army truck of 1960 was placed in the KrAZ museum in 2005.
Design and features
- Three driven axles: a 6×6 layout for off-road work, with a 6.97-litre six-cylinder diesel.
- Heavy towing: trailers of up to 50 tonnes, which made the truck useful for artillery and engineering units.
- Military family: the chassis carried pontoon bridges, bridgelayers, excavators and missile launchers.
- 24-volt electrics: introduced with the 214B of 1962, together with a revised suspension.
KrAZ-214 versions
- YaAZ-214 (1956–1959): the original Yaroslavl-built truck.
- KrAZ-214 (1959–1963): the same vehicle assembled at Kremenchuk.
- KrAZ-214B (1963–1967): improved suspension and a 24-volt electrical system.
- E-305V: a military excavator built on the KrAZ-214 chassis.
The 214 was replaced in production by the KrAZ-255, and its dump-truck relative was the KrAZ-256. More vehicles of the plant are in the KrAZ collection.
Video: Kraz 214 in Action
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- KrAZ-214, English Wikipedia: engine, production, variants
- КрАЗ-214, Russian Wikipedia: history, YaAZ production, chassis applications
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