DIY ideas for tuning MAZ trucks

Exterior

In order to improve the appearance of the truck, you need to do super MAZ tuning. You can start by replacing your outdoor lighting system. For example, change the headlights to alternative optics, which have a number of advantages compared to optics from the car factory:

• the level of color and light transmission increases;
• safety parameters are improved when traveling at night or in bad weather conditions;
• such optics have a longer service life;
• vibration resistance increases;
• maximum light output is achieved in less time;
• the exterior of the car is improved.

Such optics consume a small amount of electrical energy and do not overload the battery and generator set. The driver can install additional brake lights, reflectors, daytime running lights, a searchlight, and fog lights.

Another type of exterior tuning is the installation of an aerodynamic body kit, which will help reduce the level of air flow resistance, which will have a positive effect on the process of driving a vehicle. To improve these indicators, you can install wheel arch extensions, rear window visors, aerodynamic sills, and deflectors.

To preserve the protective paint coating of the sills, you can install mud flaps on the wheels. These elements are easy to install and have the following advantages:

• high level of impact resistance and wear resistance;
• do not require special care;
• tolerate sudden changes in temperature;
• resistant to aggressive environments.

The driver can install windshields that will prevent fogging of the windshield and side windows, create aerodynamic thrust while the vehicle is moving, protect the interior from snow, rain and wind, as well as the driver from drafts.

Daytime running lights will help reduce energy consumption, increase the level of protection, and will turn on automatically immediately after starting the engine.

Headlight protection is a transparent or carbon-style lining that protects headlights from chips, cracks, scratches and other mechanical damage. They are reliable, durable and easy to install.

MAZ: Urban “Zubrenok” - Avtotsentr.ua

What can you say about the appearance of this car? The familiar MAZ cabin, but set lower. Unlike “adult” MAZs, the wheels are small, 17.5 inches, which, of course, makes loading and unloading easier, as well as landing. At the same time, the wheelbase is quite long (3.7 m), allowing for the placement of a spacious onboard platform with an awning of 30 cubic meters. In general, this is a typical modern medium-duty truck, intended for delivery around the city, and

also for suburban and regional routes.

The onboard platform is made wisely. The side sides are metal, opening and, importantly, two-section. The tailgate in the open position has a folding step to make it easier to climb into the body. True, when you put your foot on it, the tailgate begins to sway, but you can grab the handle on the side with your hand - exactly where it should be. A second - and you

The loading height is small - a little more than a meter. Interestingly, the entire floor of the platform has a special anti-slip coating.

The body is covered with a high-quality synthetic awning, the frame of which is formed by arcs and longitudinally arranged boards. The sides are tied with a chain for strength. There are also crossbars behind the folding flap of the awning, but they are, of course, easily removable. When we filled the body with cargo, we took them out without difficulty

Underrun bars are installed on the sides, between the wheels, and at the rear of the car - this is an important element of passive safety.

To the right along the way is a 130-liter fuel tank with a convenient filler neck: it closes tightly and even locks, for which special holes are provided. But the batteries (there are two of them, 12 V each), covered with a removable plastic cap on two screws,

may fall prey to criminals.

Under the platform, in the rear, a “spare wheel” is mounted horizontally. There are no devices for removing it. It’s a pity, because one driver without assistance will not be able to unscrew the nuts at the same time

fasteners and support the wheel from below.

Inner world

Getting into the cabin is comfortable: despite the fact that its floor is quite far from the ground (127 cm), the height of the first step is only 56 cm. Two handrails on the sides of the doorway also help a lot. You enter the car like you enter a tram! And what’s nice to note is that the cabin floor is absolutely flat, without a protruding engine tunnel. This makes it easier to move around

and in an already spacious cabin.

The cabin interior cannot be called modern. Everything is angular and somehow rustic, but at the same time quite functional.

The instrument panel is simple but informative. There are more dials than on large MAZs; the right side of the dashboard is slightly turned towards the driver, which makes it easier to read the indicators. The quality of the plastic parts on the front panel could be better. The control levers for the ventilation system deflectors are made rather roughly and move slowly.

It’s good that the steering wheel is adjustable in two directions, but it’s inconvenient that each of them has its own separate lever. The tilt of the steering column was easy to adjust, but the height was not possible: despite all our efforts, the steering wheel did not want to move up/down.

Obviously the steering wheel mount was too tight

factory, but we did not get to this place.

The cabin is three-seater, with individual seats. The seats are soft, covered with fleecy fabric and quite comfortable. It's a pity that our car didn't have headrests or seat belts - they are provided only as an option. For passenger seats, only the backrest angle is adjustable.

And the driver’s seat is air-sprung; in addition, it can be moved longitudinally, in height, and even change the angle of the cushion. All adjustment knobs are made roughly and require effort. However, moving the driver's seat forward was quite easy and quick. The back of the central chair folds down to form a comfortable table with a plastic lid.

We found two cup holders between the driver and passenger seats

and a small lattice trough.

Engine

MAZ is equipped with YaMZ engines manufactured in accordance with the international environmental standards Euro-2, 3 and 4. Do-it-yourself tuning involves performing the following operations:

• installation of a zero filter element;
• installation of a throttle valve of increased diameter;
• installation of a sports camshaft;
• increasing the working volume of the power unit;
• replacing engine pistons with forged ones.

A zero filter element will help protect engine parts from dust. It also helps to increase the power of the power unit by 3-5%, without reducing the purity of the air flow. Such an element does not need to be changed every 10,000 km; it can be washed with a special composition.

Installing a larger diameter throttle valve also helps to increase the amount of incoming air, which increases engine power. The driver will not need to exert much effort when pressing the gas pedal.

A sports camshaft will ensure a stable supply of the fuel mixture to the cylindrical mechanisms of the tractor, because the valves will rise.

In order to increase the working volume of the power unit, it is necessary to bore the block of cylindrical elements for a larger diameter piston or replace the crankshaft with another one with a larger crank radius.

Installing forged pistons will help the engine spin up more easily and increase engine displacement.

Car device

We will not describe in detail all the components and assemblies; we will focus only on a number of systems.

Brake system

MAZ tractors are equipped with service, parking, spare and auxiliary brake systems. To connect the semi-trailer brake system, a two-wire pneumatic drive and outputs for compressed air supply are provided. The pneumatic system, the diagram of which is indicated in the user manual, acts on the brake mechanisms of all wheels of the car. The drive is pneumatic with separate braking of the front and rear wheels. The drive is equipped with electro-pneumatic pressure modulators for the anti-lock braking system (ABS).

Heating

The heating and ventilation system includes an independent cabin air heater, providing comfort when spending the night in the cold season. There is also a radiator installed in the cabin with the ability to turn on the airflow.

Truck characteristics

Electrical diagram

The electrical circuit of the on-board network is two-wire. Lighting – front, head and fog lights, rear fog lights. All headlights and lanterns can only be turned on after the side lights have been turned on. The turn signal breaker is an electronic 4-channel, with short circuit protection, which ensures the operation of the other three if there is a short circuit in one indicator.

The car is equipped with a fuse block, also known as a switching equipment block (BKA3A), which includes 35 fuses (60A - 1 piece, 30A - 2 pieces, 16A - 5 pieces, 8A - 37 pieces), an intermediate relay (22 pieces), an intermediate starter relay (1 piece), turn signal switch, windshield wiper intermittent relay, buzzer and parking brake warning light switch.

Be sure to read: Valve clearances D-245, engine adjustment

Safety is ensured by a central hazard warning light. A detailed electrical diagram is presented in the instruction manual.

Cabin seats and cushioning

If the springs are damaged, they must be repaired or replaced with new ones. To do this, you will need to remove the seats using a set of wrenches and screwdrivers. If only one spring fails, then you can install an additional shock absorber or replace the spring torsion bar with an imported part. This will increase driver comfort while the vehicle is moving. For the same purposes, the depreciation system can be improved. For this purpose, half springs from the latest KamAZ models are suitable, which are supplied along with the necessary fastenings.

In order to retain heat longer inside the driver’s cabin, it is recommended to install additional soundproofing coating in the rear of the MAZ. For these purposes, thermal insulation building materials will be required. The old Shumka is completely removed, and the new one is laid sequentially in 3 layers. The second layer should be with a material that absorbs vibration. This will help reduce the amount of heat loss.

Installation of rear cab supports from KamAZ

Somehow, during one of the regular repairs, I came across KamAZ cabin shock-absorbing beam springs with all the fastenings. I thought that to increase the comfort of work, they should be installed.

Beam springs for cab depreciation from KamAZ

I completely removed the clamp on which the rear part of the cab sits, and also threw away the cab lock and its control lever. I also removed the brackets on which the clamp was attached from the frame. I fitted the upper part of the lock supports to the lower corners of the cabin, not forgetting to cut a niche for the right manual latch.

Next, I began to install the lower part of the cab shock absorption mount on the frame. I fastened the latches together with the spring fastenings to the cab, and to do this I had to trim the mudguard a little on the inside of the wing. I lowered the cab, placed a board of the required length on the gearbox and began installing brackets with semi-springs on the frame.

When lowering the cab, I noticed that one of the lower holes was located just opposite the large hole in the brackets for the rear supports of the front springs. I measured the distance of the beam spring brackets from the car frame and ordered coils 50-60 mm long from the turner, as well as long bolts.

I started drilling the frame to secure my structure. I started drilling, as always, with a small drill and had my first bad experience. The drilled hole not only went through the frame, but also through the rear engine mount bracket.

To solve this problem, a tap was taken from a turner with an appropriate drill and threads were cut to attach the lower bolts. After that, drilling two more holes on each side was no problem. This is how the sprung mounting of the rear part of the cabin for the MAZ-500 was redone.

Cabin suspension springs on the right side of the machine

After the modification, driving the car became much more comfortable and softer, even despite the small rear suspension travel of the cabin.

On long trips together, you could sit in the middle of the cabin, leaning your back against the back wall, and it felt like it was shaking the least.

Of course, now this causes a smile, since a category of people has appeared who declare that if the seat is without air, then they will not even sit in the car. However, previously, even such a small increase in comfort, drivers were terribly happy.

After installing the Rabovsky rear axle on the MAZ-500, vehicle speeds of 80 km/h and above were no longer uncommon, and then the short length of the vehicle’s front springs began to be clearly felt.

All the seams and bumps on the asphalt at a speed of 80 km/h, my design still did not smooth out. If we apply passenger assessments, then the suspension simply did not handle all the road irregularities.

The MAZ plant, starting with short front springs, lengthened them by moving to the production of the MAZ-5549 model, and then continued to increase their size on the MAZ-5511. MAZ-54323 was already produced with long three-leaf springs, and the Euro MAZ received a modified front part of the three-leaf spring, which was bent around the spring pin.

I suspect that they did this in order to remove all possible play in the spring mounting and improve the car’s handling at high speeds.

Design Features

First of all, it should be noted that this truck was the first cabover model produced in the USSR. Progress at that time was quite slow, although in Europe and the United States such an arrangement was already commonplace and not a novelty.

One of the advantages of this design, when the cabin is located exactly above the engine, is a significant increase in the cargo platform. For such cars, this characteristic was almost key. But here there was a change literally by an order of magnitude - by two tons at once. This was a significant breakthrough for the Minsk Automobile Plant.

It must also be said that this design made it possible to significantly reduce the overall weight and size of the machine. In addition, driving such a car has become easier. This was also influenced by increased comfort for the driver - more modern shock absorbers and springs, seats of a new design. All this only played in favor of the new model.

Other faults

In some cases, turbine repair may be required. It should be carried out as follows:

1. If black smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipe, it is recommended to eliminate air leaks from the pipelines and clogging of the supply channel.
2. If oil consumption is increased, you need to check the air filter for defects and replace it if necessary.
3. To eliminate extraneous noise during operation, it is necessary to inspect all pipelines, the exhaust system, and tighten the nuts and clamps.

Repair of pins is necessary when the threads are damaged, the cells are worn out, cracks appear and the body of the part is damaged.

To eliminate malfunctions, you should fix the vehicle in a stationary state, lift and dismantle the wheel, remove the brake device and support disk, unscrew the king pin and replace it.

Tuning - what is it?

In any form, tuning means changing the vehicle. There are several types. First of all, motorists usually engage in internal improvements, delving into the insides of the car. By this they try to achieve other indicators on the road (usually higher). This is usually used either for old cars or for cars that were initially not very strong in this regard.

There is also an external component. All sorts of moldings, spoilers, bumpers and the like.

Electrics

MAZ electrical repairs are carried out as follows:

1. If the backlights, indicators and switches do not light up, the cause may be a broken electrical wiring, a short circuit, or a malfunction of the rheostat. It is necessary to check the integrity of the harness and fuse, eliminate the short circuit, replace the rheostat, and check the serviceability of the relay.
2. If the battery light does not light up, you need to eliminate the short circuit and check the serviceability of the ignition switch.
3. If the reverse lights do not light up, then the malfunction may be caused by a burnt-out fuse element, lack of contact between connections, or a broken lamp filament. In this case, all damaged parts must be replaced.
4. If the headlights do not light, you should check the serviceability of the switch, relay, or replace the lamp.

Starter

Causes of malfunctions and repair of MAZ starter:

1. The armature does not turn, the starter relay does not work. The cause of the breakdown may be a burnt-out fuse element, a malfunction of the intermediate relay, a break in the traction winding or wires in the chain mechanism. It is necessary to replace all failed elements, check and recharge the batteries.
2. The relay operates, but the armature does not rotate. This may be due to poor contact of the battery terminals or a short circuit inside the mechanism. It is necessary to eliminate the short circuit, clean the output terminals and tighten the mounting bolts. If there is a break in the circuit inside the starter, it must be dismantled, disassembled and the break repaired.
3. The starter does not turn the power unit shaft well. To eliminate the malfunction, you need to warm up the engine, check and recharge the battery and clean the relay contacts.

Generator

The generator is repaired in the following cases:

• no current charge;
• no power from terminals;
• When the rotation speed changes, the current decreases.

Procedure for repairing a MAZ generator:

1. Dismantle the generator set.
2. Unscrew the fastening elements of the wires and brush holders.
3. Remove the pedal.
4. Unscrew the fasteners from the cover and ties of the generator.
5. Remove the connecting nuts.
6. Remove the cover along with the stator.
7. Unscrew the terminal nuts and screws of the rectifier device.
8. Remove the pulley.
9. The key is knocked out.
10. Remove the cooling system fan and bushing.
11. Release the cover from the shaft.
12. They take out the bearings.
13. Check the winding, regulator and rectifier.
14. Carry out an external inspection of the pulley for damage.
15. Check the turn circuit.

Is it possible to improve trucks?

In fact, this is a completely separate topic. Mainly because the power and general layout of the internal parts (this means the engine mechanism and other stuffing) are calibrated right at the factory. Here, to change is only to spoil. But sometimes there are enthusiasts who manage to put the engine and everything else from a more modern car into an old model. All this is done as a personal experiment and has practically no practical application.

Tuning of the MAZ, in turn, like any other truck, will be focused on slightly different things. For example, to increase driver comfort while driving. Or simply bringing the car itself into divine condition. Considering the years when production was discontinued, this option cannot be discounted either.

MAZ-5440M9 - technical characteristics

German diesel engines in our cars are far from uncommon. The installation of Mercedes engines has long been practiced at the Kama Automobile Plant. Now it’s MAZ’s turn. The Belarusian truck tractor is equipped with an OM-471 engine. The same engine was used on the Aktros. The engine has proven itself to be good. This is a reliable and resourceful unit. OM-471 is a six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 12.8 liters. The engine is equipped with a 12-speed G230 robotic gearbox. Again, this is a box from Aktros. The car has an electronic limiter that cuts off the fuel supply at speeds over 90 kilometers per hour. This feature is inherent in all European truck tractors.

The OM-471 engine allows you to adjust torque and power in flexible ranges, depending on the modification and customer needs. In our case, the power of the unit is 476 horsepower. But as practice shows, this engine can easily be boosted to 530 horsepower. Such flexible settings are made possible thanks to the presence of composite camshafts and the X-Plus injection system. An asymmetrical turbocharger is used as an air blower.

The engine on the MAZ-5440M9 is equipped with a particulate filter with active exhaust gas regeneration. Thanks to this, the machine complies with Euro 6 requirements and can be legally used in the Baltic countries, as well as Western Europe. The particulate filter works together with the AdBlue system (colloquially “urea”).

Tuning MAZ trucks

Everything here is somewhat more complicated than even for other trucks. The fact is that the car parts are simply no longer produced. Therefore, you will have to select something exclusively “by eye” and independently. Naturally, this is fraught with some inconveniences.

First of all, this is a discrepancy between the various running mechanisms. 40 years have passed, and MAZ tuning has become more of a cosmetic overhaul than anything else. But you shouldn’t discard other options.

injection pump

Malfunctions and procedure during repair of MAZ fuel injection pump:

1. Difficulty starting the power unit, its unstable operation or a drop in power level. The problem may be caused by air in the high pressure fuel pump. It is necessary to unscrew the handle of the manual pumping mechanism and screw it in until it stops.
2. Check the tightness of the fuel lines. It is necessary to disconnect the fuel drain drive, tighten the fastening joints, and replace the sealing type gaskets.
3. Inspect the injectors for damage and defects. To do this, you will need to loosen the tension on the union bolt at the fitting. After turning off the injector, you need to measure the amount of exhaust gases released and the number of crankshaft revolutions.
4. Check the plunger pair for wear and, if necessary, replace the parts with new ones.

Problems with the purchase

You should know that purchasing a truck that was manufactured before you were born is a risky proposition. The fact is that tuning a MAZ is your least problem if you decide to buy one.

The main thing will be to get the car in working condition. Of course, then everything was done conscientiously, but even metal turns into dust over time. Therefore, take safety precautions before giving away your hard-earned money. Carefully inspect the chosen car, sit inside and evaluate the general condition of the cabin. On MAZ trucks, cabin tuning, by the way, is the most common part of the changes.

It also wouldn’t hurt to take a ride in this truck at least once.

Replacing the original MAZ-500 stove

When talking about working on a MAZ-500 truck, we cannot ignore such an important element of the cabin as the stove. I don’t know who invented it and produced it for many years, but the fact that it does not stand up to any criticism is certain.

The design of the stove consists of two radiators powered in series, located one above the other and one motor between them. Such a stove could not warm up a cabin with a large volume.

Therefore, like most MAZ drivers, I threw away the original heater and took the heater housing from a decommissioned KamAZ cab. I cut the width of the original MAZ hole for two bolted motors and installed the radiator heater housing.

On the inside of the cabin I installed two motors, which blew some of the hot air towards the driver and passenger, and also from the top of the snails I made a connection for blowing the windshield. Next, I covered the rear of the cab with flooring to completely cover the rear and side windows.

After such a small alteration, the cabin became much warmer and much quieter. The glass in the rear of the cabin apparently worked as speakers, which transmitted all the engine noise into the cabin. The most remarkable thing was that even in thirty-degree frost, it became possible to drive a car in a sweater or jacket.

What will need to be changed?

It is clear that improving a car, especially one that is so old, takes quite a long time. But where you will need to start tuning the MAZ cab with your own hands is by checking the damping springs of the cab and the seats installed inside.

This choice makes perfect sense, especially considering that the shock absorbers bear a huge load when the truck is running. Therefore, they may be in worse condition than the car itself as a whole. Actually, it won’t hurt you not only to replace, but also to add additional springs.

In the case of a chair, everything is quite simple. There can be many problems at once. Firstly, the sheets in the springs may be broken - they will need to be replaced. You will also need to install new casters to move the chair. They break down especially often, even in the first years of operation. In addition, do not be lazy to check the shock absorbers, because if they are broken, the ride will be very uncomfortable.

Seat repair

I addressed a question to one of the old-timers and received appropriate instructions. After examining my car, he noted that I was complaining in vain, because the front springs on the car were long and that was good. He advised me to restore the seat and drive, because this is not a passenger car, and it is impossible to break a MAZ and you can get used to the shaking.

Front seat of MAZ-500

I didn't waste any time and started repairing the seat. It turns out that there was not a single roller in it and, moreover, 1 leaf in the spring was broken.

While the turner was sharpening the rollers for me, I found another seat for spare parts. From two broken seats and machined iron rollers (the original ones were made of caprolon), I assembled one working one and installed a shock absorber on it.

I tightened the spring torsion bar with a wrench and went to work the next day. It should be noted that with a working seat, driving a MAZ becomes much more comfortable and the forest road with its endless bumps no longer seems so scary. But it would seem that the seat is such a trifle.

MAZ-5440: tuning

This modification of the car, just like the previous model, is characterized by some problems with the temperature in the cabin. The point here is the design of the stove. These are just two radiators that are connected to one motor, and even powered in series.

Considering the size of the cabin, it is clear that the stove will not cope with the task. But removing it is quite simple, and at least you can thank the engineers for this. Stoves from other similar trucks are perfect for replacement. For example, a heater taken from a KamAZ cab will cope with its mission perfectly.

In addition, to enhance the effect, you should either change the rear and side windows to make them more airtight, or simply cover them with some kind of dense material. The latter is the advice of one of today's owners of such a car, and there is no reason not to believe him.

All these manipulations as a whole will give you the opportunity to ride without a fur coat even in harsh northern conditions. Of course, it won’t be very warm in the cabin, because it’s worth remembering that this is a MAZ-500. Tuning a cabin of this configuration will at least allow you to work normally, regardless of the temperature outside the window.

Shelf adjustment

To increase the comfort of living in the cabin, the shelf was also lowered.
I used a grinder to cut out the entire shelf, and then welded it flush with the tunnel using adjustments. This work is not so difficult, but it gives a certain increase in cabin volume. After the alteration, I began to understand how such little things affect the comfort of being in the cabin. Thanks to the work done, it became even possible to lie down for a short time without getting out from behind the wheel. Previously, this was an unpleasant experience, since this ledge constantly hit the edge.

Also, I remade the rear view mirror brackets on the MAZ-500. The original brackets often made ripples at random speeds, and when I got tired of it, I simply purchased two brackets from SuperMAZ, along with heated mirrors. In addition to additional rigidity, these brackets make it possible to fold them when maneuvering in confined spaces, which is very convenient.

Author: Eduard Zalutsky

A few useful little things

First of all, I would like to note such an absurdity in the design as the rear mirrors. More precisely, the point is in their fastenings - at a fairly high speed or on an uneven road, it feels like there are no screws at all.

If you plan to use your truck as a tractor, then you should know that more powerful engines (for example, YaMZ 238) take up more space. Therefore, you will have to change the design as a whole a little so that everything fits.

Also take into account the fact that the shelf in the cabin is not very conveniently located.

Installing an air filter from SuperMAZ

When I converted the dump truck into a tractor and installed the YaMZ-238 engine, it became clear that the old contact oil air filter did not fit under the cab and therefore I decided to switch to a modern paper filter.
Soon, we managed to find an air filter housing from Belaz (identical to Superovsky) for a low price. On the right side of the frame I had a homemade gas tank, which was welded from two 200 liter MAZ tanks. In this regard, it became impossible to lower the air filter like on SuperMAZ.

Therefore, I had to weld a homemade filter housing bracket and screw it to the frame as close to the cabin as possible. At the same time, it was necessary to comply with the condition that there should be a distance of at least 210 cm from the center of the seat and to the filter housing, because The front overall radius of Euro carts is 208 cm.

The connection between the air filter and the engine intake manifold was made from a tin pipe with a rotation of more than 90 degrees, and the gaps were connected with KamAZ pipes on clamps. I also installed the exhaust pipe from KamAZ with all the corrugations and a cap, screwing it to the right side of the cab.

After the conversion, I noticed that in addition to reducing the noise in the car, the so-called barking also disappeared. An air filter with a large internal volume began to work as an intake muffler.

How the cabin works

The cabin is equipped with various systems, such as electronics, heating, air conditioning, which creates a comfortable environment for the operator.

• for comfortable working conditions;
• to create a microclimate;
• to protect the operator from vibrations;
• to ensure driver rest;
• to create good visibility of the road surface.

Recently, the design of the MAZ cabin has been improved; soft seats, an upper berth, and springs under the driver's seat have appeared. The modern design consists of a frame, cladding and a tipping unit. Metal frame. In terms of overall dimensions, the structure can be small or large. The first one has no sleeping space.

These vehicles are used in cities for short-distance transportation. Oversized structures are installed on tractors; they have one or two berths. The basis of the structure is a welded metal frame. The frame is assembled from two sidewalls, two parts, a floor and a roof. Then they install doors equipped with side shields to protect the openings. The instrument panel is installed under the windshield. A windshield frame reinforcement has been added. There are 3 windshield wipers.