MAZ-5432: anatomy of success

Minsk Automobile Plant is the undisputed leader of the Belarusian automotive industry. The "range" of the company includes buses, trucks, trolleybuses, trailers and truck tractors. The production of the latter has been established since the beginning of the 50s, so invaluable experience in this area has gradually accumulated.


Model 5432 began to be developed in the late 70s and in 1981 samples from the first batch were presented. The new car was seriously different from the previous ones. The gross vehicle weight was 34 tons, while the carrying capacity increased to 21 tons. The designers updated the front suspension, made the cabin more comfortable with a couple of berths.

History of modifications

In 1985, the plant began producing the MAZ-54322 model, on which the YaMZ-238FM power unit was installed, developing 320 "horses". The next version, MAZ-54323, was equipped with a YaMZ 238B turbocharged engine. Both cars received an updated exterior and more comfortable cabs.


In the latter case, Minsk engineers worked together with specialists from the German company MAN. Therefore, when creating the model, a number of technological solutions were used, used by a company from Germany on MAN F2000 tractors. Also later, a power unit from MAN was installed on the modification of the MAZ-54326, which produced 360 hp. With.


Initially, the car was designed to operate exclusively on asphalt roads. However, in 2000, an interwheel differential with a lock was introduced into the design, which made it possible to improve cross-country ability. "Along the way" modified the front suspension, strengthening it. It can withstand a seven-ton load, the wheels began to turn 45 °. Other interesting versions of the base model:

✅ MAZ-543231 is designed for operation in the northern regions at temperatures up to -60 °, had increased cabin thermal insulation, an autonomous heater
✅ MAZ-54328 was a lightweight version of the model with an engine that developed only 180 hp. With.
✅ MAZ-5432C - a sports car with a YaMZ-650C engine boosted to 8424 "horses" (later its power was raised to 1300 hp)

There were other modifications that differed in the installed power unit. Later, Daimler Chryster engines were installed on cars (restyled MAZ-5440), which corresponded to Euro-4 and Euro-5 environmental standards. The release of the basic and other versions of the MAZ-5432 truck tractor ended in 2009. By this time, the plant had more modern models, in particular, the MAZ-5432 replaced the 5440.

Sports team of the Minsk Automobile Plant

For the first time the car participated in international races in 1987. Initially, a “purely” serial car was used, on which even the “sleeping bag” was not removed. Then the Soviet racers took 13th and 14th places out of 30, which is very good for beginners. The following year, the Minskers competed in a prepared car and took 10th place on the Hungaroring track (Hungary). There were many shortcomings that had to be eliminated.


The Minsk team showed the best result in France in 1992, when the pilot Gennady Drapkin was on the second step of the podium in the overall standings. However, the team, whose departure to the competition due to financial difficulties was organized by a foreign sponsor, received a “reprimand” from the plant authorities and was then disbanded! So much for "winners are not judged..."

Technical features

Initially, the cars were equipped with a YaMZ-238 engine (280 hp), which was put on the conveyor back in 1962. Later they began to put version "B" already in 300 "horses". Both units are eight-cylinder. YaMZ-6562.10 with a volume of 11,15 liters developed only 250 liters. With. Its feature is six cylinders. The next engine model installed on the MAZ-5432 is the YaMZ-8421 with a capacity of 360 "horses", and the YaMZ-8424 developed all 425 hp. With.


The car used a fuel tank with a volume of 500 or 350 liters. This made it possible to "keep" the power reserve at the level of about 1000 km. Fuel consumption when moving at speeds up to 60 km / h did not exceed 32 l / 100 km. This characteristic is affected by the weight of the transported cargo, the quality of the road surface and many other factors. Therefore, when operating a car in difficult conditions, fuel consumption can increase to 50 l / 100 km.

Transmission and brakes

The tractor is equipped with a manual transmission (factory index 543205) with eight gears forward and a couple back. To expand the speed range, a demultiplier is provided. Clutch - two- or single-plate. The second option (index of the YaMZ-161 node) is rare. A ZF box was installed on cars with a Manov engine.


The braking system consists of four autonomous mechanisms. One pneumatic circuit is "responsible" for stopping the front wheels, the second - for the rear. There is a spare brake that works in conjunction with the parking brake. The stop assist is a pneumatically controlled motor retarder. So that the condensate that accumulates in the brake system does not freeze in the cold, a special fuse filled with alcohol is installed.

Cabin

For the very first tractors, this was a serious trump card. In those days, they did not pay much attention to “sleeping bags” (in the sports version, of course, it was not, except for the first years of production). In addition, the cabin was quite spacious due to the high ceiling.


The driver's seat is sprung, it can be adjusted in height, length and angle of inclination. Also, the seat is adjustable according to the weight of the person sitting in it.

Exploitation

According to the manufacturer of engines, their minimum resource is from 800 thousand to 1 million kilometers. Further major repairs are required. Terms of maintenance: after 20-50 thousand km. Tractor dimensions:

✅ length, width and height - 5,98, 2,5 and 3,65 m
✅ wheelbase - 3,55 m
✅ clearance - 27 cm
✅ minimum turning radius - 8,3 m

The fifth wheel is designed for a load of 8,8 tons. An equipped vehicle has a mass of 7,05 tons. Of these, 2,37 tons fall on the rear axle, 4,68 tons on the front axle. The permissible weight of the loaded semi-trailer is 26,8 tons.

Pros and cons of MAZ-5432

Of the advantages, first of all, it is worth highlighting the reasonable price of the tractor and its high maintainability. The design of the car is relatively simple, spare parts are inexpensive and are always on sale, including today. Maintenance of the machine can be carried out in the "garage" conditions, using a minimum of tools. The entire range of engines is characterized by reliability and long service life. In addition, Russian units are not very demanding on the quality of fuel, which is important under operating conditions in the Russian Federation. Many tractor owners praise the strength of the frame, which can withstand 400 thousand kilometers without digesting any of its elements. Although constant driving with a heavy load can cause cracks.


There are also disadvantages - where without them! Many owners pay attention to the use of low-quality, thin metal, which quickly begins to corrode.


The heater turned out to be inefficient, especially in severe frosts. Therefore, drivers are forced to install autonomous heaters. The compressor proved to be an unreliable device.


The generator (at high load, for example, at night and in winter) has insufficient power, due to which the batteries are not fully recharged.

MAZ-5432 in the secondary market

The car has not been produced for a long time, but you can buy a used copy even now. Tractors that left the assembly line at the very beginning of production are estimated at 150-300 thousand rubles. For MAZ-5432 and its modifications, released by the beginning of the 2000s, they ask for up to 450 thousand rubles. More "fresh" models can cost 500-700 thousand rubles, depending on the type of internal combustion engine, general technical condition.