Construction dump truck Ural-NEXT C25.330 6x4 (mod. 73945-0005121)

Daniil Minaev, photo by the author

Acquaintance with new products has already lasted for two years. Last year, the new generation of AZ “URAL” vehicles with a 6x4 wheel arrangement aroused great interest. This test drive is dedicated to the Ural-NEXT C25.330 construction dump truck, model 73945-0005121, equipped with a standard 12-cubic-meter dump body with a locking side. The developed geometry of the body and the relatively short length for such a car (about 8 meters) immediately attracts attention. The road dump truck was tested at the Dmitrovsky NAMI test site.

The first step into the cabin and here it is - a handrail that was not there before! And the almost rope-like footrest became much wider. And the wheels are tiny - 315/80 R22.5. In general, you now enter the cabin without any problems, rather than having to climb, or, if you prefer, storm. Inside, in addition to the gearbox joystick, a minimum of changes have been made over the three years of the model’s life: the factory workers slightly changed the layout with the keys on the center console, and an entertainment system with a color monitor also appeared. The cabin has air conditioning, a heating and ventilation system with an air filter, electrically heated windshield and mirrors, multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, pre-heater, tachograph and central locking. Who said that a dump truck driver must be a rude, uncouth lout who is alien to cultural values? This is a stereotype that I will destroy now! And in the nearest sandbox...

Sandbox tests

Oh, a distant happy childhood! I don’t know whether you remember or not, but the rating of Soviet boys’ transport toys increased significantly after they (the toys) passed a cycle of tests in the yard sandbox. So we and our “Ural” are now heading to the test site’s quarry, specially built for ballasting test vehicles with bulk cargo. The car was loaded with 10 tons of wet sand and we set off to travel along the forest and mountain serpentines of the test site with slopes of varying steepness.

The loading process seemed quite interesting to me, both in terms of general professional development and knowledge of the machine. I came across a wise mentor - a factory test driver. Since loading a dump truck cannot please you with the intrigue of the unknown, I was hooked by the unloading process, where I understood how to make a beautiful sand pyramid of the correct shape in a strictly designated place. When I was a driver, I didn’t have to work on a dump truck, and in test work they are often not allowed to load client cars without permission, since the transport is ballasted in advance. It was interesting to strictly maintain a stopping point in the overall corridor, pour out approximately 80% of the sand, stretch it a little forward with the body raised, and, leaving the technological area, return the body to the transport position.

The NEXT generation Ural does not have cranes to control body lifting. You need to put the gearbox in neutral, use the button to start the power take-off mechanism, then use the three-position switch to raise or lower the body. After this, you should turn off the PTO by pressing the button. This is convenient and safe: it is impossible to accidentally press a button or operate a lever to provoke an incorrect lifting of the body. Such cases are known: how many communications, power line supports, and overpasses were demolished by dump trucks.

I noticed that the standard mirrors of Miass trucks are a little blind during complex maneuvers; ideally, I would like some kind of product with a larger glazing area on a massive rack.

On public roads

The Ural dump truck copes with ten cubic meters of even wet sand effortlessly. But still, after testing a truck tractor, I miss the divider in the 9-speed gearbox! A little play with increasing or decreasing the engine speed without changing gears allows you to more accurately dose the thrust of a heavy machine. The gearbox cable drive here is tighter than that of the 16-speed gearbox. This is especially evident in the difficulty of engaging reverse: you can’t rush here: double squeeze, smoothly “introduce” the lever according to the diagram - and then everything works out.

Original platform

The dump truck is designed for transportation of bulk construction and industrial cargo on roads from categories I to IV at ambient temperatures from –45 to +40°C. The structurally permissible load capacity is up to 16 tons, the internal volume of the dump platform is 12 m3. The dump body with a mid-mounted pair of hydraulic cylinders was designed and manufactured in Tatarstan by partners specifically for Ural. Soon the production of such bodies will begin in Miass directly at the car plant.

Ural-4320 photo

Read further:
We recently compiled the TOP 5 most reliable modern engines

ZIL-4331

Dodge Charger Daytona

Kia GT4 Stinger sports car expected by 2022

Ural-6370

Ural-44202

Dump truck architecture

The new generation of trucks from Miass with a 6x4 wheel arrangement, as previously noted, has its own original frame and all axles. To combine a modern in-line engine and drive axles with double tires, a frame with a variable cross-section in width was designed: 950 mm in the front and 770 mm in the rear. The thickness of the side members is 8 mm, the height is 280 mm, the frame is designed for a total vehicle weight of up to 27.5 tons. The front beam of the Shaanxi Hande brand from China assumes a technically permissible load of up to 7.5 tons. The rear 10-ton drive axles are also made in China .

The front suspension is dependent, with leaf springs. The rear suspension is balanced. The car has good maneuverability due to the fact that when turning, the inner wheel can deviate by an angle of up to 500, the outer wheel by up to 320. A logical question is why the Ural NEXT 6x4 is equipped with Chinese axles. Is it really impossible to use bridges of our own production or localize imported ones? Everything is extremely simple, production workers are waiting for real sales volume. That is why, for the sake of economic efficiency, for now, cars of the 6x4 family will be equipped with purchased axles. And when the production volume is finally determined and the need for vehicles increases, the trucks will receive their own bridges.

Design

The presented new product is a kind of “mixture” of American and compact pickups such as the Ford F-150 and Hyundai Santa Cruz, respectively. Maverick, which has become one of the bestsellers on the American market in 2022, stands out with similar features. The body of the Russian new product, following the example of modern crossovers, has smooth outlines. But a number of details give it a resemblance to SUVs. In particular, on the presented URAL Next 2021-2022 pickup truck, the roof line quite sharply transitions to the rear part. And the hood, due to its protruding side edges, acquired rough outlines.

The new product has an interesting feature. There are compact openings on its hood for additional cooling of the engine. This decision indirectly indicates that the pickup will be equipped with a powerful engine. But it is possible that this insert performs decorative functions.

The head optics of the URAL pickup truck have a standard configuration for many mid-size crossovers. Made in the shape of a rectangle, it stretches slightly along the side of the body. Inside the head optics there are round lights, on the side of which there is an LED strip in the form of an uneven trident.

The fact that the URAL pickup truck is intended for frequent off-road use is indicated by the presence of large front protection, made as a frame made of metal pipes. It covers the bumper, complemented by a wide central air intake. On either side of it, the developer placed niches intended for fog lights, presented in the form of LED strips. The bumper itself is located quite high above the road surface, which also improves the vehicle's cross-country ability.

The new pickup truck has a 4-door body. But its configuration is such that there will be little space on the second row of seats for a comfortable seating. At the same time, the new product boasts a large glass area and the presence of an additional plastic body kit that protects the bottom of the side of the body. Extended wheel arches also indicate off-road capabilities.

The cargo platform of the URAL Next 2021-2022 pickup truck has relatively compact dimensions. But it is quite deep, which expands the scope of application of the Russian novelty. The cargo platform is complemented by a metal structure, which will rather serve as a place for fastening. At the back of the new product there is a relatively large optics. There are 2 large exhaust pipes on the sides of the rear bumper.

Power unit

Power unit YaMZ-536 with a displacement of 6.7 liters of the fifth environmental class and a power of 328 hp. This is the version with the maximum power setting (in 2015 the output was 312 “horses”), the torque also increased to 1375 Nm (in 2015 it was 1240 Nm).

In everyday operation, the demanding adjustment of the system algorithm cannot be ignored: the supply of AdBlue reagent stops already at an air temperature of -7 ° C. If the urea runs out on the road, the power will not drop until you turn off the engine. If you do not refill the reagent, when starting the engine the controller will limit the engine power by 40%. Three hundred or more “horses” are quite enough for typical general construction and municipal transportation in flat areas. But for transportation on mountain roads and when transporting high-density bulk cargo, the energy-to-weight ratio will inevitably have to be raised. This is understood in Miass. In principle, another more powerful YaMZ-653 engine is provided for Ural-NEXT, which is used to equip truck tractors.

The YaMZ plant, which is also part of the GAZ Group, is currently working on a deep modernization of the 530 family of engines, including the YaMZ-536. Plans include increasing the working volume at the first stage to 7 liters, updating the cylinder-piston group and further optimizing the combustion process. As a result, engine performance will significantly improve and the variety of power settings will increase. As soon as mass production of the modernized engines begins, these engines will be installed in the Urals. The ZF Ecomid 9-speed manual gearbox was produced in Naberezhnye Chelny at the TsF KAMA JV and is currently the only option for dump trucks.

Technical characteristics of the Ural-NEXT C25.330 6x4 dump truck (mod. 73945-0005121)

Types of special equipment based on URAL NEXT

Ural NEXT is a heavy-duty truck that differs from Ural 4320 by significant modernization of components and assemblies. The modernized Ural NEXT chassis can be modified and mounted with various types of attachments. A huge variety of superstructure options, as its technical characteristics and modernized chassis make the Ural NEXT an indispensable vehicle for special equipment.

Special equipment based on the Ural NEXT chassis

• Tank truck
• Refueler
• Onboard vehicle with CMU
• Drilling and crane machine
• Timber truck
• Log carrier

Refinement of production cars and additional equipment