MAZ-6516 - the first four-axle dump truck in the range of the Belarusian plant

MAZ has been producing 15x8 dump trucks for 4 years. Four axles allow you to take on board more than 25 tons, which is important for the construction and mining sectors. MAZ-6516 debuted in 2007, opening the way for the company to the world of four-axle dump trucks.

History of the model in the USSR

Work on the creation of 8x4 dump trucks began in the Soviet Union. Moreover, in those distant times, when no one even thought about its collapse, except for the capitalist countries. It was in the 60s of the twentieth century.


Then at the Minsk Automobile Plant they were just working on trucks of the 500th model. Already at that time, Soviet designers wanted to introduce four-axle vehicles into the series. But in the USSR, such a truck turned out to be unnecessary - it did not fit into the planned economy.

The plant was already facing a global modernization for the production of the MAZ-500, and then a four-axle model was also offered. Moreover, there were enough manufacturers of heavy trucks in the country.

But the MAZ designers did not calm down - they developed documentation for a new chassis with an 8x4 wheel arrangement. It was meant to be released:

✅ Dump trucks
✅ Heavy construction machinery
✅ Transportation of large and low-mobility vehicles, such as crawler excavators and bulldozers

Unfortunately, things did not go further than talks and papers. "From above" gave the order and plans for the release of a new promising chassis had to be postponed.


The NAMI Institute became interested in the developments. Having studied the documents and using the MAZ-500 truck, which has been in production for a long time, as a base, they assembled a prototype. He received the index NAMI-0145. The machine was tested at the test site, where it proved its effectiveness.

In the Soviet Union, they never launched the production of 8x4 trucks. There were models used as launch vehicles, but they were not intended for the civilian sphere.

Post-Soviet period

The first four-axle trucks appeared after the collapse of the USSR. In 1994, the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant released the MZKT-6515 model.

It was at this enterprise at that time that several factors coincided at once. Military orders almost stopped - the plant needed work, otherwise it was threatened with bankruptcy. The second factor is that MZKT produced multi-axle vehicles, so it was not difficult in principle to develop a model for transporting bulk materials of this type.


The prototype "came in", the truck was shown at several construction exhibitions, arousing interest among potential customers. Already in 1995, the MZKT-6515 began to be mass-produced.

Seeing the novelty, the leadership of the Kama Automobile Plant also decided to master such cars. In 1996, they had their own version ready. For this, a pair of wheels was added to a three-axle dump truck - the result was a KamAZ-6540 model. It had a carrying capacity of 18,5 tons.


The KrAZ plant also joined the struggle for the market, although with a serious delay. Only in 2004 their four-axle appeared with the index 7133С4.

Seeing the achievements of the eternal rival, even the Ural Automobile Plant decided to release its own model. In 2006, a dump truck appeared with an index of 6563.


And what about the Minsk Automobile Plant? It is a paradox, but MAZ, which has all the possibilities for the production of four-axle dump trucks, since it was at the MZKT that they originally appeared, was the last to come to his senses. Only after the debut of Ural-6563 did they start working on their model. So the MAZ-6516 appeared.

First in line

Serial production of four-axle machines began in 2007. MAZ-6516A8-321 received the YaMZ-6581.10 engine. Interestingly, this power unit was developed specifically for MAZ trucks.

The model received the clutch from ZF Sachs, and the gearbox from Shaanxi. By the way, this clearly shows how MAZ is dependent on third-party manufacturers. Carrying capacity - 25 tons with a total weight of 41 tons.


The model turned out to be popular, most of the assembled dump trucks were sold abroad, especially to Russia. By the way, the Belarusian MAZ-6516А8-321 also worked at the global construction site during the preparation for the Sochi-2014 Olympics.


Trucks are constantly modernized and refined. Naturally, this was displayed on the indices, but the numbers 6516 remained unchanged. In 2010, we decided to increase the distance between the first two axles. This made it possible to redistribute the load.
Starting from 2011, all MAZs began to be equipped with new cabs. The transition was gradual.

MAZ 8x4 dump trucks have two types of bodies - standard rectangular and U. Regardless of the shape, they can have a volume of 18 or 21 m3.

The most modern

In 2016, the MAZ-6516M9-620 debuted. This is the most modern dump truck in the line - it was equipped with a Mercedes-Benz engine, corresponding to the Euro-6 class. The gearbox is also German - Mercedes, and not mechanical, but robotic.


Back in 2020, the Minsk Automobile Plant abandoned European units and switched to Chinese ones with similar characteristics. This allowed to reduce the cost of trucks. As for reliability, then, of course, it has decreased, but this becomes relevant only after 100 thousand kilometers.


The main task of the MAZ-6516M9-620 is to work at construction sites with high-quality access roads. The European look prevents the car from conquering off-road - a low bumper and a small clearance. However, if the road is not full of bumps, where the truck can just sit on the frame, then it will pass through the mud. For this, the car's hodovka is equipped with locks.


Interestingly, the cabin is declared as its own. Of course, the design is borrowed from European models, but the factory claims to make all the body panels on its own.

The OM471 turbodiesel engine from Mercedes has a displacement of 12,8 liters, developing 476 hp. With. Now, all four-axle MAZ vehicles of the 6516 series are mainly equipped with Russian YaMZ engines or Chinese FAW, Weichai and Shacman. Manufacturers from the Celestial Empire supply gearboxes and a number of other components to the Minsk Automobile Plant.

Reviews

As a rule, drivers and owners of four-axle MAZs are satisfied with the technology, but this applies more to new cars. After 2-3 years of operation, problems begin to appear.


First of all, this is the insufficient anti-corrosion resistance of the cabin. The second is low cross-country ability and poor maneuverability compared to three-axle dump trucks. There are a lot of complaints about the electrician - in a good way, it is recommended to sort it out immediately after the purchase, "prosilicone" all the contacts.

Fuel consumption is higher than stated. The performance characteristics indicate 40 liters, in reality it is about 45. There are complaints about the strength of the frame and springs, although if the car is not overloaded, nothing breaks. But hired drivers often carry 30 or even 35 tons, with 25 allowed.

MAZ-6516 took its rightful place among four-axle dump trucks. It is interesting that it was produced with an eye to export to the EU countries, but the main sales market at the moment is Russia.