ZIL-157 - one of the best off-road military trucks

ZIL-157 is familiar to many professional drivers. Someone started his career in the army on it, some worked in the countryside. There are people who still use these trucks in logging.


As soon as they don’t call ZIL-157 - “Cleaver”, “Stupa”, “Zakhar”, “Truman” and even “Cannibal”. Old drivers also called the military ZiS-5 “Zakhar”. "Cannibal" is a classic Soviet KrAZ, but the ZIL-157 sometimes has similar habits.

History of the model

The history of the ZiL-157 began in the mid-1940s, when the experimental ZiS-151 was made. This charismatic truck has been mass-produced since 1948, but the idea of ​​​​putting rear gable wheels on vehicles turned out to be vicious.

Already in the 1950s, it became clear that the future belongs to cars with single rear axles. Soviet designers have long relied on the experience of the Americans with their Studebakers. But in tests, it was the models with two wheels per axle that showed the best results. They bypassed not only the ZiS-151, but also several US-made trucks.



Thanks to the efforts of designer Vitaly Grachev, ZIL-157 began to be mass-produced in 1958. The model received not only a single-sided rear axle bus, but also a tire inflation system that was unique at that time. Prior to this, such a development was used on armored personnel carriers.

According to the recollections of plant workers participating in army tests, the generals assessed the cross-country ability of the ZIL-157 at the level of serial tracked vehicles. Shortly thereafter, the truck was nicknamed "The Cleaver". On the one hand, this is explained by the characteristic shape of the hood, on the other hand, by high traffic. The car, like a real ax for chopping firewood, cuts off-road.



A truck with a 6 x 6 wheel arrangement has a carrying capacity on the highway and in the city of 4 kg, but on soils it drops to 500 kg. A huge number of special vehicles were produced on the ZIL-2 chassis.



By the way, the truck is not only Soviet, but also Russian - its production continued until 1994. The latest ZIL-157 batches had unified engines with the 130 model.

Appearance of the model

One look at the ZIL-157 is enough to understand that this is a military truck. The appearance is brutal, it exudes reliability. The huge hood hints at a high level of safety in a frontal collision. Although, it's a pity the car that will converge with the frame monster head-on!

But the size of the cabin let us down - there is room for three people, but they will definitely be cramped there. The view is limited by the small size of the glasses. But the side windows are lowered, and the stove is available - what else is needed for complete happiness?



Riding a ZIL-157 will seem difficult for modern people - there are many nuances here, from gear shifting to the front axle.

Engine and gearbox

The motor was put on a truck with the same name - ZIL-157. It was developed specifically for the military rogue. In-line six-cylinder engine, working volume - 5560 cm3. Power from 104 to 109 liters. with., depending on the modification.



Such parameters look ridiculous now, but do not forget about the purpose of the car - high cross-country ability. The ZIL-157 does not shine with speed characteristics, but its traction is excellent. It is for this reason that many still believe that a more passable truck than the Cleaver does not exist.

The gearbox is five-speed, there is a two-speed transfer case. Experienced drivers are able to switch on the go without using the clutch, guided by engine speed.

Truck in motion

There is nothing to do in the city of ZIL-157 - a huge and clumsy truck without power steering in such conditions will obey only a strong or at least hardy driver. A long hood and limited visibility, fuel consumption make the use of the machine unprofitable.

The bus and trolleybus parks operated the ZIL-157 for the longest time in the cities - a military truck easily hauled broken multi-ton vehicles for repairs at the depot.

It is also problematic to drive such equipment on the highway - the maximum speed in the region of 70 km / h does not contribute to this. It's one thing when the track is empty, quite another - it's modern congestion. Due to limited visibility, a clumsy truck can be simply dangerous for other road users.



But it is worth moving onto a bad dirt road, or to complete off-road, and the truck demonstrates high cross-country ability. Even trained SUVs cannot boast of this level.



Although there are no differential locks, the car does not need them. If anything, it is enough to connect the front axle, and the ZIL-157 will overcome a difficult section of the road with a characteristic roar of the engine. Downshifting is needed only in the most serious cases.
But much in terms of cross-country ability also depends on the driver - an inexperienced person is able to get stuck on such a monster in the nearest puddle near the house. Yes, he will not even reach the off-road, failing to get under way!

On a bad road, the ZIL-157 can show why it was sometimes called the "Cannibal" by analogy with KrAZ. The steering wheel without power steering, connected to the wheels in fact directly, once in a rut, easily pulls out of your hands. If at the same time it is covered by the thumbs, then they can dislocate or even break. Not so bad - KrAZ broke some forearms!

Rumor has it that power steering was installed on later versions of the ZIL-157. It has nothing to do with the real picture. According to the factory documentation, there were no serial trucks of this model with power steering until the end of production. Experienced ZIL-157s were produced, sometimes there are home-made products, but such a modification has never been regularly produced!

Professional drivers can get stuck on the "Cleaver" only in extreme cases - when the truck hangs on the frame. Although this is not scary - if the hillock is not stone, then it can be pulled out. Ground clearance of 310 mm allows you to overcome all obstacles.
By the way, in comparison with the ZIL-131, the Cleaver is quite economical off-road. The six-cylinder in-line engine is 30% less voracious than a 8 hp V150. Although, 60 liters is also a lot.

When the army received the number of ZIL-157s it needed in various modifications, trucks began to be produced further - they fell in love with agriculture. For field work, the off-road military vehicle was ideal - it delivered the cargo regardless of the weather and the condition of the road surface.



Actually, there might not have been any road, the ZIL-157 drove perfectly across the field, paving the way on its own.
Until now, in the most difficult conditions, the Cleaver is sometimes used in logging. Of course, the owners are trying to change the voracious gasoline engine for an economical diesel engine, but there is also a native engine.