KrAZ-6322

KrAZ-6322 at a glance

The 6322 is a multi-purpose truck: a flatbed for cargo and up to 24 troops, a tow vehicle for trailers and artillery, and a chassis for tankers, workshops, cranes and armoured versions. KrAZ rates it for temperatures from −50 °C to +60 °C. The plant's history, from its first trucks in 1959, is in the history of KrAZ, and all KrAZ models are on the KrAZ brand page.

Development: from the KrAZ-260 to the 6322

The KrAZ-260, in production from 1981, set the layout: three axles, a bonneted cab and a V8 diesel. In 1991 KrAZ showed the experimental 63221E with a modified cab and the YaMZ-238D engine with 330 hp, and the KrAZ-6322 was approved for production in 1994 as a 10-tonne flatbed. Compared with the KrAZ-260, the old 1cars text says the 6322 gained about 30 hp and a payload of 10,000 kg.

Export orders kept the truck in production in the 2000s. Iraq ordered it in June 2004 and had received 2,150 trucks by June 2007, the largest single contract. The Ukrainian armed forces adopted it in 2006 and took the first 15 trucks in February 2008. A KrAZ-6322 "Soldat" also appears on a commemorative coin of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Bonneted cab and troop body

The three-seat cab sits behind a long bonnet. That layout makes the engine easy to reach for repairs, but it limits the view of the ground immediately ahead off-road. According to the old 1cars text, the driver's seat has air suspension, and the cab has heating and ventilation, though noise insulation is basic. The flatbed has folding benches and a canvas cover, with room for 20 to 28 people depending on the version. The 2016 "Raptor" prototype added an armoured cab.

Engine, gearbox and drivetrain

The YaMZ V8 meets only Euro 0 to Euro 2 standards, which is one reason later export trucks were offered with Western engines. A Thermostart pre-heater helps cold starts, according to the old 1cars text. The drive to all three axles, the locking differentials and the 530/70-21 tyres with central inflation give the truck its off-road ability.

Chassis, brakes and steering

The ladder frame is reinforced for rough use. Both the front axle and the rear bogie hang on semi-elliptic leaf springs with anti-roll bars, and the front has double-acting hydraulic dampers. The brakes are air-operated drums on all wheels in a dual-circuit system, with ABS from Knorr-Bremse or Wabco as an option, a transmission parking brake and an exhaust brake. Hydraulically assisted steering with a ratio of about 24:1 keeps steering effort manageable, according to the old 1cars text.

KrAZ-6322 specifications in metric and imperial units

Versions and derivatives

Rivals and users

In its class the KrAZ-6322 competes with heavy 6×6 trucks such as the Czech Tatra 815. The Tatra uses a central backbone tube and independent swing axles, while the KrAZ has a conventional ladder frame and leaf-sprung axles, which makes it simpler and cheaper to repair but less smooth off-road. In our ranking of the most powerful trucks, the Tatra 815 is ranked #4 and the KrAZ-6322 #16. Within KrAZ, the 6322 is the all-wheel-drive counterpart of road trucks such as the KrAZ-6510 tipper.

Users include Ukraine, Georgia (where it is the main transport truck of the defence forces), Iraq, Egypt, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Nigeria, Estonia (four trucks with bridge-laying equipment in 2015), Angola, India and several other countries.