Light Tracked All-Terrain Vehicles "Ukhtysh" and "Uzola"

"What won't these Russians come up with to avoid building good roads..." Nizhny Novgorod residents, for example, created the light tracked all-terrain vehicles "Ukhtysh" and "Uzola".

On off-road terrain, the specific ground pressure coefficient decides everything. This is clear even to poor students familiar with physics at the level of apples falling on their heads. You can try to put large wheels on an SUV or reduce the weight of the vehicle, but you can't jump above your head. And achieving a specific ground pressure of 12.5 kPa, shown by the "Ukhtysh", is impossible for wheeled vehicles (except for ATVs on "pneumatics"). True, there is an option to install tracked propulsion instead of wheels, but that is also a half-measure.

MILLIONAIRES WITHOUT A QUEUE

The classic question that arises when seeing an extraordinary vehicle is: how much does it burn, go, and cost? All modifications cost a little over 1,000,000 rubles. Appetite depends on how you drive, where you drive, and which engine is installed on a particular instance. On average, about 28 liters of gasoline or slightly less diesel fuel goes out the exhaust pipe per hundred kilometers of off-road. As for the "top speed", it is very serious for a tracked vehicle – 60 km/h. These are the main tactical and technical characteristics, so now we can move on to specifics.

This multi-purpose vehicle with asphalt-friendly tracks is produced at the Zavod Vezdekhodnykh Mashin (All-Terrain Vehicles Plant), located in Nizhny Novgorod. Most of the units in its design are taken from various models of the domestic automotive and tractor industry. For example, the power unit and part of the transmission are from UAZ, the air compressor is from PAZ, pneumatic valves are from tractors, etc. The plant's first brainchild was the "Ukhtysh" model, which aroused the interest of numerous organizations in need of a light ATV. And not only did they show interest, but they also bought it. And to date, more than a dozen units are operating for oil workers, geologists, and power engineers.

ABOUT BODY RUBBER

"Ukhtysh" is the name of the modification with the upper part of the UAZ-469. And "Uzola" was the name given to the same thing, but with the "loaf" top of the UAZ-452. The design is based on a boat, inside which the power unit and transmission are located. The boat is water-isolated but not sealed. Therefore, before swimming, you need to turn on the bilge pumps and lower a plate located in front of the radiator using a traction drive from the cabin. The speed on water is 4–5 km/h due to the rotating tracks, but in principle, you can hang any outboard motor.

The interiors of the models are practically no different from UAZ ones, and the number of seats depends on the modification. Minimum two, maximum, in the big "Uzola", – eight. Of course, the weight of the vehicle depends on the capacity of the body, but the difference is small. The curb weight of the "Ukhtysh" is 2700 kg, and the "Uzola" – 2800 kg. The list of additional equipment includes a roof rack, bull bars, a winch, an autonomous heater, and almost any whim for your money.

CONSTRUCTOR

The main and most expensive part of an ATV is the tracks. The design of the track with reverse rigidity is original. The basis is a track shoe – a metal plate with a "tooth" enclosed in a rubber-cord shell. Two rubber-metal joints (RMJ) are pressed inside each track shoe. The track shoes are connected to each other using iron plates called links, which are put on the RMJ pins. And the links, in turn, are attached to elastic rubber widening pads (specifically widening pads, not expanders). Based on the results of operation and testing, the design of their fastenings and shape were changed. A modified version is currently used, and the widening pads do not break off upon contact with stones.

The factory warranty for the tracks is 8000 km, but in practice their service life when operating on soft soils is noticeably longer. Each of them costs 130 thousand rubles. For comparison, for the Swedish "Moose" (the two-link BV-206 ATV), the price for each starts at 160 thousand rubles, but you must not forget that there are four of them and they are solid, without detachable links.

DO YOU WANT THE REAL THING?

But for ZVM ATVs, this anecdote is irrelevant, and manipulations with tracks are not very difficult. Having a couple of track shoes and links in reserve, you can repair yourself even in the wilds of the Amazon. As a test driver told us, once at a large exhibition during a demonstration run, a loosely tensioned track came off at the top of a snow pile. However, the spectators, greedy for bread and circuses, did not get a show. The "Ukhtysh" went down on one track. And putting the runaway back in place was a matter of technique, quite accessible to two people, and took only half an hour.

And during our rides, we had a chance to get better acquainted with the design. Since we were riding on the first snow, the mechanics forgot to install the snow cleaner. This tricky word refers to an iron pin that goes into the guide slot of the drive sprocket. As a result, after riding through water and liquid mud, it became clogged with frozen snow and clay, and the track disengaged. The key used to loosen the tensioner was not in the vehicles; nevertheless, the drivers quickly put the track back on using wooden blocks.

A RIDE ON A TRACTOR

In motion, these "tankettes" give a funny feeling of independence from the terrain and soil type. It is comfortable to ride in them. The ride is smooth; there is no shaking anywhere nearby. The only thing is that there is practically no sound insulation. The cabin is warm, and in summer, a huge folding hatch promotes ventilation. In the driver's seat, the sensations are unusual; at first, the absence of a brake pedal is stressful. But it is not needed either – you pull both levers towards you and engage the band brakes. And to turn, you need to pull one of the levers located on some semblance of a steering column. The friction clutch of the side you need to turn towards is disengaged, and all the torque begins to go to the opposite friction clutch. And in addition, the lagging side is braked by the band brake. Another unusual thing is the lack of inertia and coasting. You need to shift gears quickly without losing momentum. But in general, driving ATVs is simple, and it takes very little time to get used to it. By the way, "Ukhtysh" and "Uzola" are certified as tractors.

FROM "UAZ" TO "NISSAN"

The engines on the "Uzola" and "Ukhtysh" can be different. The most affordable engines are gasoline ZMZ-409-10 or UMZ-4218-10. But the power and traction characteristics of the latter are not enough for the noticeably heavier "goat". Therefore, most currently produced instances have a ZMZ-514 diesel, which has gotten rid of the cylinder head problems typical of the beginning of production. However, the technology allows the installation of any passenger car engine. For example, customers brought their engines complete with transmissions, and at the moment several vehicles run with a "Nissan" RD28 turbodiesel.

As standard, the gearbox is a UAZ 4-speed, joined with its own 2-speed transfer case. The factory workers at one time installed 5-speed Arzamas gearboxes, but they proved to be disgusting. The main gear housing is from a GAZ-71, and what mates with it is already original. The drive is carried out through the rear sprocket, and an "idler" is located in front. Multi-plate dry friction clutches are in charge of transmitting torque through short cardan shafts to the final drives. The friction clutches are controlled pneumatically, and a pressure gauge is routed to the front panel to diagnose the system.

In the production lineup of the All-Terrain Vehicles Plant, there is also the "Kerzhak" amphibious ATV: a body from a "Gazelle", resting on the reduction axles of an MTZ-82 tractor with ultra-low pressure tires, providing a ground clearance of 700 mm.

IN COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE

The models have independent lever-torsion suspension. The ground clearance is 400 mm. Shock absorbers are used on the front and rear balance beams. The road wheels – six on each side – are double and rubberized, and three support rollers are installed on top.

Source: 4x4.media