GAZ-67B

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Popularly GAZ-67 was called “Ivan-Willis”, because the American off-road vehicle, supplied during the war under the lend-lease agreement, is its direct prototype. The car is the result of a deep modernization of the car GAZ-64, which under the leadership of V.A. Grachev and G.M. Wasserman eliminated the main shortcomings of its predecessor – a narrow road track, because of which the SUV did not fit into the track, left by trucks and mediocre handling.

GAZ-64

The first prototypes received the index “GAZ-67” were produced in the second half of April 1943, and by July they received further modifications, the main of which was the widening of the track to a “normal” size of 1466 mm. The body, frame and muffler design were also changed.

In September 1943 it has passed the most severe factory tests – off-road truck had to overcome 2200 kilometers with a 76-mm ZIS-3 gun, 930 km of which were country roads, and 550 km – knocked out cobblestones. The car passed the tests without any significant damage, which could not be said about the running gear of the gun – it was completely out of order.

Factory test vehicle with a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon

On September 23rd, 1943 the car entered the assembly line of the Gorki automobile plant, where it was produced up to 15 cars per day during 10 years.

Structurally, the SUV was an open body type “Phaeton”, the length of the car was 3350 mm, wheelbase – 2100 mm. The track width was 1446 mm with a ground clearance of 227 mm. Curb weight is 1200 kg.

The engine was GAZ-64-004 with a capacity of 3285 cm3, which developed up to 54 hp (67-B Modernization), with a torque of 180 N*m. These features allowed the truck to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, with controllable fuel consumption of 15 liters. The fuel system was carbureted, and it was liquid-cooled. The fuel type used was gasoline A-66 or A-70.

The transmission was a four-speed manual transmission with a large power range which did not require a two-speed demultiplier. The first gear was very “tractive” – the gear ratio was 6.4. The ratio of free traction on the wheels to GVW was 0.74 – as on GAZ-61, which theoretically allowed to overcome a hard terrain up to 45 degrees, as well as the use of low-pressure tires with grousers.

GAZ-67 front axle was mounted on four leaf springs, which had the shape of the one-quarter ellipse. To reduce deflections when driving in a straight line, bushings and threaded pins, “borrowed” from GAZ-11, are used in the pivot of each spring.

Hydraulic shock absorbers for a long time were the most unreliable and weakest point of suspension. They were taken from the GAZ-M1 car, as there was no alternative at first. It wasn’t until 1951 that they started using double-sided Delko shock absorbers on Jeeps. On the original versions of the car, especially during the war, the rear shock absorbers were sometimes removed altogether.

The GAZ-67 was equipped with a special locking mechanism that prevented the rear and first gears from engaging in four-wheel-drive mode. This was done in order to prevent damage to the rear axle gears, which, as the operation has shown, did not have sufficient mechanical strength.

The unambiguous advantages of this model can be attributed to the reliability of all major units, due to the simplicity of design and high maintainability. Just a Soviet jeep in its cross-country ability surpassed its foreign counterparts, largely due to efficient tires, which were designed for GAZ-64.

The versatility of application of the machine largely explains the volume of production and its duration – GAZ-67 and its later modification 67-B were produced for 10 years – from September 1943 to August 1953. During this time, 92843 all-terrain vehicles were produced. After the war GAZ-67B was actively used not only in the army but also in the MGB, Interior Ministry, geological prospecting, forestry, agriculture, etc. It was the basis for producing a hydraulic drilling and crane truck BKGM-AN (the first in the world practice of using a crane-drilling machine on a car), as well as snowplows.

But the disadvantages are the average “Spartan” design of the vehicle – it is deprived of almost all the attributes of comfort. The dashboard is extremely sparse – the driver is limited to the speedometer and odometer. Protection from precipitation and wind is not provided – the car has no heating system – “heater”. The absence of synchronizers in the gearbox, a rigid suspension, and extremely primitive driver and passenger seats do not add to the comfort of movement.

Despite the fact that the car was designed for military purposes, it was civilian use that allowed GAZ-67 to become the first “people’s off-roader” and reach a circulation of more than 90,000 units during the production line. The vehicle was valued for its driving properties and extreme unpretentiousness, reliability, and ease of operation. Even up to the mid-1970s it was common practice to see this cross-country vehicle in Moscow, and some vehicles are still in the habitual habitat.

The exhibit presented in our museum is GAZ-67B of 1946 year of manufacture,

Technical Specifications

. . . .
Manufacturer GAZ, USSR
Production years 1943 – 1953
Number, pcs 92,843
Cost
Cost in current prices
. . . . . .
MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION
Type4-cylinder, in-line, bottom-valve
Engine displacement, cm3 3,285
Piston diameter and stroke, mm 98.43 x 107.95
Piston stroke in mm
Power output 54 hp at 2800 rpm
ignitionelectric starter
Carburetor
Accumulator
Clutch
Gearbox 4-speed
. . .
Frame and wheelbase
Frame type
Front suspension
Rear suspension
Тормоза drums on all wheels
Wheels
.
DIMENSIONS
Length, mm
3 350
Width, mm
1 690
Height, mm
1 700 мм
Wheelbase, mm
2 100
Ground clreanece, mm
227
Mass, kg
1 320
Petrol tank, l
40
Maximum speed, kmh
90
Range, km

*- Data based on the results of the measurement on the museum “Motorworld by V.Sheyanov” exhibit.