The ZIL-MMZ-555 was a dump truck built by the Mytishchi machine works on the chassis of the ZIL-130. It was produced from 1964 until the beginning of 1995 and became one of the most familiar tippers on Soviet building sites, with a distinctive half-oval body.
ZIL-MMZ-555 at a glance
| Maker | MMZ, Mytishchi, on a ZiL chassis |
|---|---|
| Production | 1964–early 1995 |
| Class | building-site dump truck |
| Chassis | ZIL-130D1, shortened wheelbase |
| Payload | 4,500 kg, raised to 5,250 kg in 1977 |
| Body | half-oval steel, 3 m³ |
| Cab and driveline | from the ZIL-130 |
| Hydraulics | complete MMZ installation |
| Later chassis | ZIL-495810 from 1986 |
| Export | Poland, East Germany and others |
Based on one source: the German Wikipedia article on the ZIL-MMZ-555.
History of the ZIL-MMZ-555
From the ZIL-130 chassis
The Mytishchi machine works had built dump trucks since 1947, first on the ZIS-5 chassis, then the ZIS-MMZ-585 on the ZIS-150 and the ZIL-164. When ZiL switched to the new ZIL-130 in 1962, a new chassis became available for the Mytishchi tippers, and after design and testing the ZIL-MMZ-555 entered series production in 1964. It fitted between the smaller GAZ-93 and the larger MAZ-503. The truck was designed for a 4,500 kg payload on the ZIL-130D1 chassis, whose wheelbase was shortened to make the tipper more manoeuvrable. The complete driveline and the cab came from the ZIL-130; MMZ added the hydraulic system and its controls, the subframe and the body.
The body
The body was half-oval in shape, a form that became the truck’s most recognisable feature; all later MMZ types had rectangular bodies or at least flat floors. Its capacity of three cubic metres was small because the truck was meant for heavy bulk loads such as sand. Other vehicles with larger bodies for light agricultural loads were built later. From 1966 a slightly revised ZIL-130D1-66 chassis was used. The first generation was built almost unchanged until 1977.
Updates and versions
In April 1977 production moved to the new ZIL-130D1-76 chassis and the payload rose to 5,250 kg. These chassis were used until 1986 and then replaced by the ZIL-495810, which was little changed but renamed under the Soviet standard. ZiL stopped building the ZIL-130 on 30 December 1994, and MMZ assembled vehicles from remaining parts until early 1995. The ZIL-MMZ-555A of 1968–1995 was equipped for working with dump trailers, with an extra hydraulic connection at the rear and modified controls; the 555G had higher side boards and 4.25 m³, the 555K used the six-cylinder engine of the ZIL-157, and export versions were built for Poland and for tropical and temperate climates. A prototype with a glass-fibre body saved 200 kg but was not produced.
Relatives and export
From 1975–1976 MMZ also built the ZIL-MMZ-4502 with a rectangular body and a slightly higher payload, and in the late 1980s the ZIL-MMZ-4505 with a similar platform to the 555. ZIL-MMZ-555s were exported to several countries, among them Poland and East Germany, where it was one of the few civilian versions of the ZIL-130 and from 1964 worked in the Wismut uranium mines. The type remained in service long after production ended.
Design and features
- Half-oval body: the three-cubic-metre tipper shape that made the truck instantly recognisable.
- ZIL-130 mechanicals: the cab, engine and driveline of the standard Soviet five-tonner.
- Short wheelbase: a ZIL-130D1 chassis shortened for manoeuvring on building sites.
- Thirty years of production: built from 1964 until the ZIL-130 chassis ran out in 1995.
ZIL-MMZ-555 versions
- ZIL-MMZ-555 (1964–1995): the basic tipper, on several successive chassis.
- ZIL-MMZ-555A (1968–1995): version for working with dump trailers.
- ZIL-MMZ-555G: higher side boards and a 4.25 m³ body, small series.
- ZIL-MMZ-555K: with the six-cylinder ZIL-157 engine, 1974–1995.
- ZIL-MMZ-555P and 555T: export versions for Poland and tropical climates.
- ZIL-MMZ-4502: related tipper with a rectangular body from 1975–1976.
The ZIL-MMZ-555 was built on the ZIL-130 chassis, and its engine family also served the ZIL-157. More trucks are in the ZiL collection.
Sources
- ZIL-MMZ-555, German Wikipedia: history, chassis, body, versions, export
