KamAZ-6520

KamAZ-6520 at a glance: maker, years and purpose

The KamAZ-6520 is the heavy-duty tipper of the KAMAZ range of the 2000s. It was developed for construction sites, quarries and road building, where the 15-tonne KamAZ-65115 was no longer enough. Unlike the older KAMAZ dump trucks, the 6520 was designed as a new chassis rather than an update, with heavier axles, a stronger frame and a European gearbox.

Its place in the KAMAZ story, from the 1976 KamAZ-5320 to today's trucks, is told in the history of KAMAZ. The two-axle all-wheel-drive KamAZ-4326 and the long-running KamAZ-5320 show the older generation of the family.

Development and the export attempt

Work on a 20-tonne tipper began in the 1990s, when demand grew for trucks that could carry more than the 15 tonnes of the KamAZ-65115. KAMAZ chose to develop a new three-axle chassis instead of stretching the old one, and launched the KamAZ-6520 in 2002.

From the start the plant aimed the 6520 at Western Europe as well. For that market it fitted a Cummins ISLe 350 six-cylinder diesel meeting Euro 3, revised the cab to Western standards and used the ZF 16S 1820 gearbox. Later the cab was replaced by a newer design with a one-piece windscreen, three wipers, new headlights and air suspension for the cab. The KamAZ-6580 took over as the main heavy tipper in 2016.

How the KamAZ-6520 is built: chassis, cab and body

The 6520 has a ladder frame with a leaf-sprung front axle and a balanced leaf-spring rear bogie carrying the two driven axles; anti-roll bars are fitted front and rear. Brakes are air-operated drums with ABS. The tubed 12.00 R20 tyres sit on 8.5-20 disc wheels.

The forward-control cab tilts hydraulically and has no sleeping berth in the standard tipper. Inside, the driver gets an air-suspended seat with height and reach adjustment, a two-dial instrument panel, a safety steering wheel with an adjustable column and optional air conditioning; the engine and gearbox are insulated against heat and noise.

The steel tipper body is rear-tipping, with a tipping angle of 50 degrees. Body volume depends on the version, from about 9 m³ on early European trucks to 16 m³ on standard bodies and 20 m³ on the 6520-029.

Engines and drivetrain by period

• KamAZ-740.51-320 (Euro 2): 11.76-litre turbocharged and charge-cooled V8, 235 kW (320 PS).
• KamAZ-740.63-400 (Euro 3): the same 11.76-litre V8 (bore and stroke 120 x 130 mm, compression 16.8:1) with 294 kW (400 PS) at 1,900 rpm; KAMAZ factory data gives 1,766 Nm at 1,300 rpm.
• Cummins ISLe 350 (Euro 3, export): 8.9-litre straight-six.
• Euro 4 versions such as the 6520-43 followed later.

All versions use a single-plate diaphragm clutch with hydraulic release and air assistance and the ZF 16S 1820 16-speed manual gearbox with remote shift. Drive goes to the two rear axles (6x4), with lockable inter-axle and cross-axle differentials on some versions. The KamAZ-6520 has a 24 V electrical system with two 190 Ah batteries and a 2,000 W alternator.

KamAZ-6520 specifications

The table shows the 294 kW Euro 3 tipper as published by KAMAZ; the early European version listed in Wikipedia was lighter (11,900 kg kerb weight, 31,900 kg gross).

Published fuel use is 36.5 L/100 km (6.4 mpg US) at a steady 60 km/h; real consumption on site work is higher and depends heavily on load and terrain.

KamAZ-6520 variants and related models

The heavy road tractors of the same era include the KamAZ-6460, and the full line-up is in the KAMAZ catalogue.

KamAZ-6520 strengths and weaknesses

The KamAZ-6520 was built for overloads and poor site roads: the frame, axles and leaf-spring bogie are heavy-duty, the mechanical V8 is simple to service, and the ZF gearbox is familiar to every truck workshop. An optional pre-heater allows the engine to start at down to −45 °C, which suits cold-climate quarries.

Its weaknesses are fuel use and age. A large V8 with a 16-speed manual gearbox uses noticeably more fuel than modern European six-cylinder tippers, and the early cab is basic. Drivers often carry more than the rated payload, but KAMAZ does not approve overloading the chassis.

How the KamAZ-6520 compares with European tippers

Spec and comparison sites usually set the KamAZ-6520 against three-axle European tippers such as the Scania R500 and the MAN CLA 6x4. On paper the KAMAZ matches their payload class of about 20 tonnes, while its 294 kW (400 PS) V8 sits below the 368 kW (500 PS) of the Scania R500; it also relies on a manual 16-speed gearbox, drum brakes and a simpler cab. Its case has always been a lower purchase price, easy field repairs and parts shared with other KAMAZ trucks, rather than fuel economy or driver comfort.