The KrAZ-258 was a heavy tractor unit, produced in series by the Kremenchuk automobile plant from 1966 to 1989. It was developed to replace the KrAZ-221B tractor and was unified to a large degree with the KrAZ-256B and KrAZ-257 trucks.
KrAZ-258 at a glance
| Maker | KrAZ, Kremenchuk |
|---|---|
| Production | 1966–1989 |
| Type | tractor unit for semi-trailers |
| Gross weight | 22 tonnes |
| Fifth-wheel load | 12 tonnes |
| Semi-trailer gross weight | 30 tonnes |
| Engine, 258B | YaMZ-238A, 215 PS |
| Engine, 258B1 | YaMZ-238, 240 PS |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Steering | with hydraulic booster, shared with the MAZ-500 |
| Resource | 100,000 km before 1970, 180,000 km in the 1970s |
The article is based on the Russian Wikipedia page on the KrAZ-258; the English Wikipedia page on the plant supplies the model’s place in the range.
History of the KrAZ-258
Work on the KrAZ-258 began in the early 1960s as a replacement for the KrAZ-221B tractor unit. The design was unified from the start with the KrAZ-256B and KrAZ-257 trucks, and its steering gear with hydraulic booster was shared with the MAZ-500. In the middle of the 1970s the tractors in production received a new two-wire brake system.
The service life of the tractor grew as the design was improved: 100,000 km before 1970 and 180,000 km for the machines of the 1970s; the average life of a new KrAZ-258B1 before the first major overhaul was 190,000 km, and an overhaul then gave another 152,000 km. The plant’s plans called for the 258B1 to leave production in 1988, but the last machines were completed in 1989.
The tractor was normally combined with Soviet semi-trailers. Among them were the PL2012 trough carrier for long concrete elements, with a 20-tonne payload and a 12,110 mm platform, the PP2008B panel carrier of 7,930 kg with a length of 14,535 mm, and the ChMZAP-5523A heavy-duty semi-trailer of 25 tonnes. Fuel was carried in the TZ-22 tanker semi-trailer on a ChMZAP-5524P chassis, and the Tomsk repair plant built the SP-22M tipping semi-trailer with side discharge to both sides.
Design and features
- Fifth-wheel load of 12 tonnes: on a two-joint coupling, with a semi-trailer gross weight of 30 tonnes and a tractor gross weight of 22 tonnes.
- Shared units: the cab, engine and chassis came from the KrAZ-256B and KrAZ-257 range.
- Hydraulic steering: a steering gear with booster, the same as on the MAZ-500.
- Two-wire brakes: fitted to tractors built from the middle of the 1970s.
KrAZ-258 versions
- KrAZ-258B (1966–1977): the base model with a 215 hp YaMZ-238A engine and a YaMZ-236S gearbox.
- KrAZ-258B1: improved model with a 240 hp YaMZ-238 engine and a YaMZ-236N gearbox.
- KrAZ-E259B: an experimental cab-over version with a MAZ-500 cab.
The 258 was one of the three models of the KrAZ-257 family, with the 257 flatbed and the KrAZ-256 dump truck; the later tractor unit was the KrAZ-5444. More trucks are in the KrAZ collection.
Video: KrAZ 258 Z КрАЗ LKW 255 Truck Monster UdSSR CCCR classic Oldtimer
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- КрАЗ-258, Russian Wikipedia: history, design, variants, semi-trailers
- KrAZ, English Wikipedia: place of the model in the plant’s range
