MAZ-5337

What the MAZ-5337 is

The MAZ-5337 belongs to the second generation of Minsk cab-over trucks, the family that grew out of the MAZ-500 of the 1960s. Its direct predecessor was the MAZ-5335, built from 1977 to 1990 with the same 3,950 mm wheelbase and the same YaMZ-236 engine family. The 5337 kept that layout and moved the design towards a modular chassis: the plant could fit a platform, a crane, a tank or a municipal body to one base truck instead of developing a separate model for each job.

The history of the plant itself is covered in the history of MAZ, and the rest of the range sits in the MAZ catalogue.

Development from the MAZ-5335

MAZ planned the 5337 in the 1980s as an update of its best-selling two-axle truck. The engineers kept the proven frame, axles and V6 diesel, and concentrated on three things: easier driving, wider use as a chassis and better reliability on poor roads. Power steering arrived as standard, which made a loaded truck far easier to handle. The transmission and tyres were matched to rough surfaces, and the frame was prepared for bolt-on modules.

According to the old 1cars text, the model shared the plant with the MAZ-5551 tipper by the end of the 1980s. The two trucks were closely related: German-language Wikipedia describes the 5551 as a tipper derived from the 5337. A medium-duty tractor unit, the MAZ-5433, used the same technology. The later MAZ-53371 developed the design further, and from 2002 the MAZ-5340 took over part of the role while the 5337 stayed in the range.

YaMZ-236 diesel engine

Every MAZ-5337 uses a version of the YaMZ-236, a four-stroke V6 diesel with its cylinders at 90 degrees. MAZ had fitted this engine family to its trucks for more than 30 years, so parts and know-how were easy to find. The engine is mounted longitudinally under the tilting cab and is reached by tipping the cab forward.

The old 1cars text describes the fuel system in detail. The injection pump has six sections, an automatic injection-advance coupling and an all-speed governor, and a low-pressure pump feeds it. The injectors are of the closed type. The air filter has a clogging indicator, and its element is easy to change.

Gearbox and performance figures

The engine drives through a dry clutch with a pneumatic booster and a five-speed manual gearbox; German-language Wikipedia names the YaMZ-2361-06 unit. Gears two to five have synchronisers. Drive goes to the rear axle through a two-section propeller shaft, and the axle uses planetary hub reductions.

The old 1cars text gives a top speed of 85 km/h and 0–85 km/h in about 50 seconds without a load. It quotes a fuel consumption of around 21 l/100 km at a steady 60 km/h and about 35 l/100 km in mixed work. The 200-litre tank gives a long range between refuelling stops.

Dimensions, weights and payload

Figures for the MAZ-5337 changed over its long life, because MAZ raised the permitted weights several times. The table compares the early specification quoted in the old 1cars text with the later flatbed version described by German-language Wikipedia.

The flatbed body has drop sides split into two sections, which makes loading from the side easier, and a hardwood floor. By our calculation, the early truck offers about 8.3 kW per tonne at its 16-tonne gross weight, while the later Euro-3 version reaches 9.4 kW per tonne at 18 tonnes. The 1cars power-to-weight calculator gives the same figures for any other load.

Cab, brakes and suspension

The steel cab seats two or three people, depending on the order. The driver's seat adjusts for height, backrest angle and reach. Most trucks have no sleeping berth, although some versions add one. The heater and ventilation worked well for a truck of the 1980s, but the old 1cars text criticises poor sealing, which made the cab cold in winter and noisy at speed. MAZ also built a cold-climate version, the MAZ-533701HL, for temperatures down to −60 °C, with better thermal insulation and a berth.

The brakes are pneumatic with separate circuits. Spring brake chambers on the rear axle serve as the parking brake, and a secondary system, combined with the parking brake, takes over if the main one fails. The suspension uses semi-elliptic leaf springs with sliding ends at both axles, with telescopic shock absorbers at the front. The wheels are of the discless (spoke) type, fixed to the hubs with six studs. The electrical system runs at 24 V from two 12 V batteries, with a G-273V alternator and an ST103A starter.

Truck cranes and other versions

The modular chassis made the MAZ-5337 a popular base for special bodies. The best-known is the truck crane of the Ivanovets family, which used the same running gear as the base truck with a YaMZ-236M2 engine. Its hydraulic telescopic boom has a load limiter and sensors for boom length, reach, hook height and rope load. The operator can also set slewing limits for work in tight spaces.

Other bodies on the chassis include fuel tankers, construction and logging versions, fire engines on the MAZ-5337A2 chassis, and municipal (communal) bodies. The closely related MAZ-5334 was the factory cab-chassis for special equipment in the previous generation.

MAZ-5337 strengths and weak points

The MAZ-5337 earned its reputation through simple, repairable engineering. Its strengths are a strong frame and axles, a well-known engine with wide parts support, power steering, and a chassis that suits many bodies. Its weak points are the cab: limited insulation, high noise and basic comfort for long trips. Fuel use is also high by modern standards.