GAZ 66

Designed as the replacement of the GAZ-63 truck in a payload class of 2 tons. The vehicle is fitted with an eight-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor engine. The vehicle has all single drive wheels.

The tire size is 12.00-18″. The transmission is eight-step without interaxle differential. The transmission gear ratio range is 14.7.

The final drive is of a hypoid type. There are selflocking gearless cross-axle differentials. The vehicle’s equipment includes a hydraulic steering wheel booster, a hydrovacuum booster in the brake drive and a windscreen washer.

The vehicle is of a cab-over-engine type and features a low gravity center with this giving the truck an enhanced stability, especially during turns. The truck was launched into serial manufacture in 1964. The first modifications of the vehicle were the GAZ-66-01, a high-sided truck without a winch, ahd the GAZ-66-02, a modification with a winch.

In 1968, all modifications of the truck began to be fitted with a centralized tire air pressure regulation system. The vehicle received more than once upgrade during its serial manufacture period with this having resulted in the GAZ-66-11 and GAZ-66-40 modifications. All truck variants were used in the Armed Forces under the designation GAZ-66.

In 1998, the Gorky motor vehicle plant stopped large-scale serial manufacture of the truck and began to produce it in small batches which had continued to be deployed with troops. In 1999, the production of the GAZ-66 was stopped. 965,941 vehicles were manufactured during that period.

The vehicles of the latest manufacturing series had a multi-purpose cargo bed of a new design unitized with the GAZ-3309 commercial truck. The GAZ-66 was exported in large quantities.

Main versions:

GAZ-66-1 (1964-1968) – the first model with no centralized system for adjusting the air pressure in the tires

GAZ-66A (1964-1968) – with a winch

GAZ-34 – a 6 × 6 prototype

GAZ-66B (1966) – Airborne version with telescopic steering column, folding roof and folding windshield frame

GAZ-66D (1964-1968) – the chassis with a power take-off

GAZ-66P – tractor (experimental)

GAZ-66E (1964-1968) – with shielded electrical equipment

GAZ-66-01 (1968-1985) – the base model with a centralized control system for tire pressure

GAZ-66-02 (1968-1985) – with a winch

GAZ-66-03 (1964-1968) – with shielded electrical equipment

GAZ-66-04 (1968-1985) – the chassis with shielded electrical equipment

GAZ-66-05 (1968-1985) – with shielded electrical equipment and a winch

GAZ-66-11 (1985-1996) – upgraded base model

GAZ-66-12 (1985-1996) – with a winch

GAZ-66-14 (1985-1996) – the chassis with shielded electrical equipment and a power take-off

Military versions

GAZ-66-15 (1985-1996) – with shielded electrical equipment and a winch

GAZ-66-16 (1991-1993) – modernized version with ZMZ-513.10, reinforced tires (wheels – lean), completed the brakes, the platform without intruding wheel niches (also installed on GAZ-66-11 and GAZ-66-40 ), load capacity 2.3 tons

GAZ-66-21 (1993-1995) – the national-economic modification with the dual tires and rear axle wooden platform GAZ-53, load capacity 3.5 tons

GAZ-66-31 – chassis for trucks

GAZ-66-41 (1992-1995) – a naturally aspirated GAZ-544 diesel engine

GAZ-66-40 (1995-1999) – with a GAZ-5441 turbodiesel

GAZ-66-92 (1987-1995) – for use in the far north

GAZ-66-96 – chassis for shift buses

Export versions

GAZ-66-51 (1968-1985)

GAZ-66-52 (1968-1985) – with a winch

GAZ-66-81 (1985-1995) – for countries with a temperate climate

GAZ-66-91 (1985-1995) – for countries with a tropical climate

Weight – 3,640 kg. Wheel arrangement – 4×4. Payload – 2,000 kg.

Dimensions – 5,655×2,322×2,440 mm. Base – 3,300 mm. Front wheel track – 1,800 mm.

Rear wheel track – 1,750 mm. Engine – 8-cylinder, 115 hp, carburetor, liquid-cooled type. Top speed – 95 kph. Fuel endurance – 875 km.