The MAZ-6422 is a Soviet and Belarusian 6×4 tractor unit of the Minsk Automobile Plant, created in 1977 and intended for long-distance and international haulage. It was the first lorry of the third MAZ generation and the successor of the MAZ-515, and its two driven rear axles gave it the nickname SuperMAZ.
MAZ-6422 at a glance
| Maker | Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), Belarus |
|---|---|
| Created | 1977 |
| First serial lorries | 1978, a batch of ten |
| On the main line | from 8 April 1984 |
| Layout | 6×4 tractor unit |
| Semi-trailer | two-axle MAZ-9398 |
| Train weight | about 43 tonnes |
| Base engine | YaMZ-238F of 320 hp |
| Most powerful YaMZ version | YaMZ-8424 of 425 hp |
| Nickname | SuperMAZ |
The MAZ-6422 is covered only by the Russian Wikipedia article; this page is based on one source.
History of the MAZ-6422
From drawings to the experimental shop
Work on the new family of heavy MAZ lorries meant to replace the 500 series began in the second half of the 1960s. From the beginning of the 1970s to the end of the decade several dozen prototypes were built, differing in cab finish and technical parameters, and the final appearance of the new family was settled by 1977. In 1978 the experimental shop assembled a batch of ten production-specification examples. Assembly of the MAZ-6422 then went on in the experimental shop, bypassing the main line, at least until 1984, although the lorries counted as serial production and were in the plant plan. By April 1983 the thousandth lorry of the new family had been built. The MAZ-6422 and MAZ-5432 family reached the main line on 8 April 1984 and pushed out the lorries of the previous family only by the end of 1990.
A new cab
The cab of the tractor was completely different from that of its predecessor. The shape of the headlights, the radiator grille and the shape of the cab itself were changed, since the era of rounded body forms had ended in the 1960s. The windscreen changed from two halves with a central pillar to panoramic glass, and the bulky shock-absorbing bumper of the previous model disappeared: instead a new bumper carried the main block of headlights, following GOST 8769-75, which brought Soviet lighting into line with UNECE recommendations, now Regulation 48. A new spoiler appeared on the roof. The inside of the cab changed too, with new control levers and a steering wheel that, for the first time on a Soviet lorry, carried the horn instead of a separate cord.
Modernisation and emissions
In the early 1990s the plant modernised the MAZ family, with a new cab with a tilting front panel, new headlights and a new dashboard, and in time the front axles, rear axles, frame and brakes were updated. YaMZ engines to Euro-1 were fitted from 1995 and the whole MAZ range was on Euro-1 from 2002, Euro-2 engines were used from 1997 and the range was on Euro-2 from 2005, and from 2008 the YaMZ engines met Euro-3.
The versions
The base MAZ-6422 had the YaMZ-238F of 320 hp and was built from 1981 to 1985. The MAZ-64221 and MAZ-64224 followed in 1989 with the YaMZ-8421 of 360 hp and the YaMZ-8424 of 425 hp, and the MAZ-64226 used a MAN engine of 360 hp with a 16-speed gearbox. The MAZ-64227 of 1985 to 1988 was a modernised version with a changed front, and the MAZ-64229 from 1987 used the YaMZ-238D of 330 hp. The Euro-2 lorries were the MAZ-642205 and MAZ-642208 with 330 and 400 hp, and the Euro-3 machines the MAZ-6422A5 and MAZ-6422A8 with 330 and 400 hp.
Design and features
- Two driven rear axles: the 6×4 layout that earned the tractor its SuperMAZ name.
- Panoramic windscreen: a single sheet of glass instead of two halves with a central pillar.
- Horn in the wheel: the first Soviet lorry to have the horn in the steering wheel rather than on a cord.
- Headlights in the bumper: the lighting arrangements of the 1975 Soviet standard.
- Long life: built into the 2000s beside the newer MAZ-6430 and MAZ-5440.
MAZ-6422 versions
- MAZ-6422 (1981–1985): the base tractor with the YaMZ-238F of 320 hp.
- MAZ-64221 and MAZ-64224 (from 1989): YaMZ-8421 of 360 hp and YaMZ-8424 of 425 hp.
- MAZ-64226: MAN engine of 360 hp and a 16-speed gearbox.
- MAZ-64227 (1985–1988): modernised version with a changed front.
- MAZ-64229 (from 1987): YaMZ-238D of 330 hp.
- MAZ-6422A5 and MAZ-6422A8: Euro-3 engines of 330 and 400 hp.
The MAZ-6422 opened the third generation together with the two-axle MAZ-5432 and was replaced by the fourth-generation MAZ-6430. More are in the MAZ collection.
Sources
- MAZ-6422, Russian Wikipedia: development, cab changes, production, versions, emissions
