KamAZ-5460

What the KamAZ-5460 is

The KamAZ-5460 is a road tractor for pulling semi-trailers, not a rigid truck or an off-road chassis. KAMAZ, the truck maker founded in the USSR in 1969, built it with two axles and drive to the rear axle only, which is the standard format for long-distance haulage of 40-tonne combinations.

That layout was new for the company. Earlier KAMAZ tractor units such as the KamAZ-5410 and its 54112 and 54115 relatives were three-axle 6x4 tractors, derived from the cab-over family that began with the KamAZ-5320. A 6x4 tractor carries more weight on the drive axles and copes better on poor surfaces, but it is heavier and has a higher fifth wheel. The 5460 brought the lighter two-axle format, better suited to paved trunk roads, into the KAMAZ range.

The 5460 and the three-axle KamAZ-6460 appeared in the same year and share the V8 engine, so the two are usually treated as a pair: the 5460 for standard 40-tonne work, the 6460 for heavier loads and harder conditions.

Development and production history

Series production of the KamAZ-5460 began in 2003, according to German and French encyclopaedic sources on KAMAZ. At launch the engine met Euro 2; a Euro 3 version followed in 2004, and a Euro 4 version was offered later.

The cab kept its original design until 2009, when its sheet metal and radiator grille were revised. The tractor was also exported: a Chilean tax-authority vehicle valuation list from 2006 includes a "5460 Tracto Camion 4X2" of model year 2005, which confirms that the truck was being exported within two years of its launch.

In 2013 KAMAZ introduced the KamAZ-5490, a 4x2 tractor based on Daimler components, as the 5460's successor. The older model did not disappear at once. Manufacturer data published around 2017 still listed two slightly different 5460 variants, and we found no reliable source for the year production ended.

Design and chassis

The 5460 uses a conventional ladder frame with a cab-over-engine layout, air suspension on the driven rear axle. Air springs keep the fifth-wheel height constant regardless of load, which matters with low-deck semi-trailers.

The fifth-wheel height is usually quoted as 1,100–1,150 mm (43.3–45.3 in).

Weight distribution follows from the job. Manufacturer data give axle loads of 4,755 kg (10,483 lb) at the front and 2,670 kg (5,886 lb) at the rear when the tractor runs solo, rising to 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) and 11,500 kg (25,353 lb) with a laden trailer. The kerb weight of 7,425 kg (16,369 lb) leaves a fifth-wheel load of 10,500 kg (23,149 lb) within the permitted gross vehicle weight of 18,000 kg (39,683 lb).

The electrical system runs at 24 V with two 12 V, 190 Ah batteries and a 28 V, 2,000 W alternator. Two 350-litre (77.0 UK gal) fuel tanks give a total of 700 litres (154 UK gal), which is generous for a 4x2 tractor and suits long stages between refuelling points.

Engine and gearbox

The KamAZ-5460 is powered by a KAMAZ-built V8 four-stroke turbo-diesel of the KamAZ-740 family. In the version described in manufacturer data from around 2017, the KamAZ-740.73-400, it displaces 11.76 litres (718 cu in) from a bore and stroke of 120 x 130 mm (4.72 x 5.12 in) and has a compression ratio of 17.9:1.

Output is 294 kW (400 PS) at 1,900 rpm. Peak torque is usually given as about 1,765 Nm (1,302 lb-ft), available between 1,250 and 1,350 rpm. The fuel-injection system uses Bosch components, and from around 2010 the manufacturer claimed an engine life of 1 million km (621,000 miles); that is a factory statement rather than an independently tested figure.

Engine codes changed with emission standards. Engine databases list the 740.63-400 as the Euro 3 unit of this family and the 740.73-400 as the Euro 4 unit, both rated at 400 PS.

Power goes through a ZF 16S1820, a 16-speed manual gearbox from ZF Friedrichshafen, to the single driven rear axle. Top speed is 90 km/h (55.9 mph), the usual limited figure for a heavy tractor, and the maximum climbable gradient is quoted as 18%.

A Cummins-engined version, the KamAZ-5460-06, also appears in model lists. KAMAZ and Cummins build engines together through the Cummins Kama joint venture, but we found no reliable source for which Cummins engine this variant used, so we do not quote its output.

KamAZ-5460 specifications

The figures below describe the 740.73-400 version as listed in manufacturer data from around 2017. Earlier tractors can differ in detail, especially in engine code and emission standard.

KamAZ-5460 variants and derivatives

The 5460 family is small, and most variant names come from model lists rather than detailed specifications. The table separates what is documented from what is only named.

The TSA-40 is the most specialised use of the 5460: paired with a semi-trailer tank, it carries 40,000 litres (8,799 UK gal) of aviation fuel for airfield refuelling.

KamAZ-5460 vs KamAZ-5490 and the tractor's legacy

The main difference between the KamAZ-5460 and the KamAZ-5490 is where the engineering comes from. The 5460 uses KAMAZ's own V8 engine and cab family with a ZF gearbox, while the 5490 is built on Daimler components and uses a Mercedes-Benz OM 457 LA six-cylinder diesel rated at 315 kW (428 PS). Both are 4x2 tractor units for the 40-tonne class, so the 5490 replaced the 5460 in the same role rather than moving it upmarket.

Against the KamAZ-6460, the comparison is about axles. The 6460 adds a second driven rear axle (6x4), which raises traction and load capacity but also weight and running costs. The 5460 is the lighter, simpler choice for paved roads.

Its place in the company's history is clearer than its sales record. The 5460 was the model that moved KAMAZ from three-axle tractors to the two-axle 4x2 format, and its successor continued in that format. More of the brand's line-up is covered in our overview of KAMAZ trucks of the era and in the full list of all KamAZ models; other heavy commercial vehicles are grouped in our trucks section.

There is no crash-test rating for heavy tractor units of this type, and we found no independent data on fuel consumption, reliability or common faults. Any used example should therefore be judged on its own service records and inspection, not on published averages.