KamAZ-4308

KamAZ-4308 at a glance: segment, layout and purpose

KamAZ was known for heavy three-axle trucks such as the KamAZ-5320. In the early 2000s it needed a lighter truck for city and regional work, a segment it had not covered. Building a new engine from scratch would have taken years, so the company combined its own frame and cab with bought-in parts.

According to the old 1cars report, more than 18 foreign suppliers contributed. Cummins supplied the engine, ZF the gearbox, Haldex parts of the brake system and Bosch the fuel equipment. Hella made the headlamps, and Grammer of Germany supplied the air-suspended driver's seat.

Engines, transmission and performance

The engines came from Cummins's ISBe family, built under licence in China according to the old report. Early units met Euro 2 and later Euro 3; later versions received common-rail injection and met stricter standards up to Euro 5.

The six-cylinder engine has four valves per cylinder and a belt-driven fan with a viscous coupling. The fan sits on the nose of the crankshaft, which suits a cab-over truck. The old report notes that a 3.8-litre engine of the same family was used in the GAZ Valdai.

The standard gearbox was a six-speed ZF 6S1000TO with synchronised gears and ratios from 6.75 to 0.78. A Sachs clutch, also from the ZF group, was fitted. For road-train work a nine-speed ZF 9S109 was offered as an option. Early trucks used KamAZ's own 141 gearbox before production moved to the ZF joint venture. Top speed is limited to 100 km/h. Our guide to ZF gearboxes explains the family.

Dimensions, weights and capacity

By our calculation, the payload of the bare chassis is about 5.3–5.6 tonnes before a body is fitted. The low 19.5-inch wheels keep the loading height down, which helps drivers who unload by hand.

Fuel economy and running costs

The old 1cars article gives two figures: about 14 l/100 km in one place and 17 l/100 km in the specification table. The lower figure fits a light urban load, the higher one a loaded truck or a road train. In US terms that is roughly 14 to 17 miles per gallon. With a 210-litre tank, the range is about 1,200–1,500 km.

Parts were cheap and widely available, which kept running costs low. Estimate your own costs with the fuel cost calculator.

Chassis, cab and safety equipment

The suspension uses parabolic leaf springs, two leaves at the front and three at the rear, about two metres long for a softer ride. Hydraulic dampers and rubber bump stops are fitted at the front. A two-bellow air suspension for the rear axle, with electronic height control, was developed as an option.

Braking is pneumatic with disc brakes on all wheels, a dual-circuit system and ABS. A spring brake serves as the parking brake, and an exhaust brake acts as a retarder. Steering is hydraulically assisted.

The cab is the familiar KamAZ unit with a new grille and side panels. It was treated with cataphoretic primer against corrosion, and it sits on a spring-mounted subframe. Trucks of this class have no Euro NCAP or other crash-test rating.

Body versions and uses

The chassis was offered with many bodies, according to the old report:

• dropside flatbed and Euro-style curtain-sider;
• refrigerated and insulated vans;
• truck with a loader crane (manipulator);
• emergency-services and tow trucks;
• vans for building materials and special vehicles for public services.

Strengths and weaknesses

KamAZ-4308 rivals

The 4308 sits between light trucks and the heavy three-axle KamAZ range. Its main advantage over the GAZon Next is the higher gross weight; its drawback is the older cab.