The Ural-4320 is the 6×6 off-road truck that replaced the petrol Ural-375. Production started at Miass on 17 November 1977 and continues, heavily modernised, today. It carries cargo, troops and trailers on all kinds of roads, and it also serves as a launcher platform for the BM-21 Grad.
Ural-4320 at a glance
| Maker | Ural Automotive Plant (UralAZ), Miass |
|---|---|
| Production | since 17 November 1977 |
| Layout | 6×6, conventional cab |
| Engine | KamAZ-740 V8 diesel at first; YaMZ-236 and YaMZ-238 after 1993 |
| Later engines | YaMZ-65654 and YaMZ-5362 from 2014, Euro 4 |
| Power | 210 hp in the early KamAZ version; 230–300 hp today |
| Tyres | 14.00 R20 |
| Payload | about 7.9 tonnes on the standard chassis |
| Long chassis | up to about 12 tonnes |
| Modernised series | Ural-M from 2014, Ural Next from 2015 |
History of the Ural-4320
A diesel replacement
Production of the Ural-4320 began on 17 November 1977. The truck was designed to carry cargo, people and trailers on every kind of road and off it, and it initially used the KamAZ-740 V8 diesel. By 1986 more than a million trucks of the line had been built. When a fire at the KamAZ engine plant on 14 April 1993 stopped deliveries to outside customers, Ural switched to the YaMZ-236 and YaMZ-238 engines of the Yaroslavl motor plant.
The engine shortage years
The shortage of diesels was so severe that part of the 1993–1994 output was fitted with the carburettor ZIL-375 petrol engine, in effect prolonging the Ural-375D with the bonnet of a 4320. Trucks with the longer YaMZ-238 kept a longer engine compartment, while those with the YaMZ-236 kept the KamAZ-sized one, with the air filter moved onto the right wing. From the mid-2000s all trucks were built with the long engine compartment.
Modern versions
From the mid-1990s the 4320 and 5557 received a wide bumper with headlamps, though the Ministry of Defence continued to order the narrow bumper with lamps in the wings. Euro-4 engines arrived in 2014 with the YaMZ-65654 and YaMZ-5362, and the same year the range was modernised as the Ural-M; in autumn 2015 it became the Ural Next with a GAZelle Next cab.
Design and features
- Diesel 6×6: a military and civil workhorse in production for almost fifty years.
- Family of chassis: standard, long, reinforced and tractor versions under one designation.
- Grad platform: like its predecessor, the 4320 carries the BM-21 rocket launcher.
- Many cab options: two-door, four-door, sleeper and the Iveco P cab used in 2009–2014.
- Still developed: Ural-M in 2014 and Ural Next in 2015 kept the line current.
Ural-4320 versions
- Ural-4320: standard chassis with the classic steel cab, about 7.9 tonnes.
- Ural-4320-19: long chassis, about 12 tonnes.
- Ural-43203: chassis with reinforced front suspension.
- Ural-43206: light 4×4 truck with a 4.2-tonne payload, built since 1996.
- Ural-5557: chassis for equipment of 12–14 tonnes with wide tyres and tyre inflation.
- Ural-4320VV: armoured version built for the internal troops.
The 4320 replaced the Ural-375; the heavier Ural-5323 shares its role in the army. More trucks are in the Ural collection.
Video: Russian army truck Ural 4320 in real hard off-road
Video by no_road_baby on YouTube.
Sources
- Ural-4320, English Wikipedia: versions, engines, users
- Урал-4320, Russian Wikipedia: production start, engine change, 43206 and 5557
