Ural- 375D (1964–1991)

From canvas top to steel cab: what the 375D changed

The 375D's main change was the cab. Up to 1964 UralAZ built only the first Ural-375, whose cab had a weatherproof canvas cover in place of a metal roof. From 1964 the plant switched to the 375D, with a cab made entirely of metal, roof included. The German-language reference describes this cab as a reworked version of the one fitted to the civilian Ural-377, which appeared at about the same time.

Underneath, the truck was carried over almost unchanged. It kept the ladder frame, the three rigid axles with permanent drive, leaf-sprung front suspension and the balanced rear bogie, so the 375D drove and worked like its predecessor but gave the crew a proper all-weather cab. It went on to become the version built in the largest numbers. No reliable total for 375D production has been published.

The background to the family, from the NAMI prototypes to the start of series production in 1960, is covered in the Ural-375 overview.

Chassis, cab and equipment of the 375D

The 375D was designed for routes where an ordinary road lorry could not be expected to get through, and its equipment shows it. Each wheel carries a 14.00-20 tubed tyre on a three-piece 10-20 rim. The driver can raise or lower tyre pressure from the cab between 0.5 and 3.2 kgf/cm² (49–314 kPa, 7–46 psi), softening the tyres for sand or snow and pumping them up again for paved roads.

Further figures from the German-language technical data for a 375D of about 1966:

• 400 mm (15.7 in) of ground clearance and a fording depth of 1.5 m (4.9 ft);
• a climbing ability of 30 degrees at full gross weight;
• a minimum turning circle of 21 m (68.9 ft), although the English-language reference quotes 22 m (72.2 ft).

An optional winch was mounted at the rear. Brakes are air-operated drums.

Ural-375DM: the 1982 update

The 375DM replaced the 375D in 1982 and was built until 1991. The listed changes are practical rather than dramatic:

• one-piece wheel rims instead of the three-piece rims of the 375D;
• revised lighting;
• reworked side panels on the cargo body.

The 375DM was specified for operation between −45 °C and +40 °C (−49 °F to 104 °F). A tropical export version, the 375DMJu, was rated from −20 °C to +50 °C (−4 °F to 122 °F). None of the sources we checked records a change to the engine, so the DM should be treated as a detail update of the same truck.

The same modernisation was applied across the family. The M suffix appears on the 375AM body chassis, the 375NM civilian truck, the 375SM tractor and the 375SNM road tractor, each combining the earlier version with the DM's revisions.

ZIL-375Ya engine and ten-speed drivetrain

Both the 375D and the 375DM use the ZIL-375Ya, a carburetted petrol V8 with pushrod valves. Its 108 mm (4.25 in) bore and 95 mm (3.74 in) stroke give 6,962 cm³ (424.8 cu in). It is a larger-bore development of the V8 used in the ZIL-130, and the German reference names a K-89A four-barrel carburettor.

The 180 PS figure is the nominal Soviet (GOST) rating, and some references round it to 130 kW. No torque figure appears in the sources we could verify. A collector-market guide makes the point that the output has to be read together with the very low gearing: the transfer case doubles the five gearbox ratios to ten, so a loaded truck can creep along in low range yet manage a top speed of 75 km/h (47 mph) on a paved road.

Fuel was the price of that petrol V8. The German data gives 45–50 L/100 km (6.3–5.6 mpg UK) and a range of 500–550 km (311–342 mi) including reserve, from a 300-litre (66 UK gal) main tank plus a 60-litre (13 UK gal) auxiliary tank that was available as an option. This is why the diesel Ural-4320 arrived in 1977, yet petrol trucks of the 375D and 375DM types continued to be built in parallel for another fourteen years.

Ural-375D dimensions and weights

The table uses the German-language technical data for a cargo 375D of about 1966. Bodies and equipment changed the weights of individual trucks.

Civilian versions and special bodies

UralAZ built several civilian versions on the 375D layout. The most important was the 375N, a cargo truck without the tyre-inflation system, with different tyres and a platform whose three sides all fold down. The German reference dates it from 1974 to 1982, while the English article on the plant gives 1972, so the start date is uncertain. Its modernised successor, the 375NM, ran from 1982 to 1991.

Tractor units followed the same pattern:

• Ural-375DS (also called 375S-K1): a semi-trailer tractor built from 1974, otherwise close to the 375S.
• Ural-375SN: a tractor based on the 375N, able to pull semi-trailers of up to 18.4 t (40,565 lb) on roads and 12.5 t (27,558 lb) off-road.
• Ural-375SNM: the modernised road tractor, intended for poor roads rather than heavy terrain and built without tyre inflation.

The chassis also carried a long list of working bodies, among them cranes, earth drills, municipal vehicles, fire appliances, tankers, long-timber transporters, flatbeds and support vehicles for airfields and oilfields. For other all-terrain trucks and vehicles, see our 4x4 and all-wheel-drive overview.

Choosing a 375D or 375DM today

The easiest way to tell the two apart is the wheels: a 375D should have three-piece rims, a 375DM one-piece rims, and the DM also has revised lights. Check the chassis plate as well, because bodywork, equipment, engines and axle ratios were often changed during a working life, and the outward details may not match the original specification.

Points that matter more on these trucks than on most classics:

• Frame condition. Fresh black paint on the chassis can hide corrosion or poor welding, so inspect rails and cross-members closely.
• Variant. A 375N or 375NM lacks the tyre-inflation equipment, which means fewer air lines to maintain but less ability in deep sand and snow.
• Body type. A tanker, crane or workshop body adds weight and its own maintenance needs; the payload and kerb figures above apply to the cargo truck.
• Fuel budget. At 45–50 L/100 km on the road, a 375D suits shows and occasional use better than regular driving.

The 375D sits among the Soviet classic vehicles, and the wider Ural range shows how its layout carried on in later trucks.