The Tatra T813 was a

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

produced in

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

by the Tatra company. It was produced from 1967 to 1982.Moderní Uźitkové Automobily TATRA kolektiv vývojove konstrukce N.P. Tatra Kopŕivnice 1979 Naśe Vojsko Praha, První vydání The basic representative of this series was a military version of the

8×8 Eight-wheel drive, often notated as 8WD or 8×8, is a drivetrain configuration that allows all eight wheels of an eight-wheeled vehicle to be drive wheels simultaneously. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configuration is largely confined ...

Kolos (Colossus), which was able to pull trailers up to a total weight of 100 tons. Tatra also produced a civilian version in either

6×6 Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configura ...

4×4 A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pro ...

. After fifteen years of production, 11,751 vehicles were built in all modifications. Many units were exported to the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

History

The prototype, made of

Tatra 138 The Tatra 138 was a truck produced in Czechoslovakia by the Tatra company. Known as the immediate successor to the Tatra 111, the model introduced a number of new features while continuing the evolution of Tatra concept. The truck was produced f ...

parts, was built in 1960. It had permanent 4×4 all-wheel-drive. After trials, the designers decided to develop and expand the concept to an

all-wheel-drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...

. The basis of the design became the modular chassis of the Tatra 813. In 1983, it was succeeded by the

Tatra T815 The Tatra 815 is a truck family, produced by Czech company Tatra. It uses the traditional Tatra concept of rigid backbone tube and swinging half-axles giving independent suspension. The vehicles are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, 10x8, 10x10, 1 ...

Design and technology

A tubular backbone construction was chosen for the T813. The advantages of the central load carrying backbone tube are the high torsional and bending stiffness protecting the truck's body from forces caused by the payload, plus it houses all important parts of the drivetrain and allows the modular construction so designers and customers can choose between two-, three-, and four-axle versions and

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

combinations. The T-813 design uses a cab-over-engine configuration, wide-profile super-single tires, and central tire inflation/deflation system.

Engine

The

naturally aspirated A naturally aspirated engine, also known as a normally aspirated engine, and abbreviated to N/A or NA, is an internal combustion engine in which air intake depends solely on atmospheric pressure and does not have forced induction through a turboc ...

V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve-Cylinder (engine), cylinder Internal combustion engine#Reciprocating engines, piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V engine, V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more c ...

T-930 was created by adding four cylinders to the existing T-928 75° V8 engine of the Tatra T138 series. The

crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a reciprocating engine, piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating Shaft (mechanical engineering), shaft containing one or more crankpins, ...

uses six individual journals bolted together with front and rear pins running on the main roller bearings on the axial

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Types of friction include dry, fluid, lubricated, skin, and internal -- an incomplete list. The study of t ...

thrust Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that ...

washers. The

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

version was multi-fuel capable, running on any mixture of

diesel fuel Diesel fuel, also called diesel oil, heavy oil (historically) or simply diesel, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a re ...

petrol Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...

/gasoline, and

kerosene Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...

aviation fuel Aviation fuels are either petroleum-based or blends of petroleum and synthetic fuels, used to power aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground applications, such as heating and road transport, and they contain add ...

Chassis

T-813 uses a full-length backbone tube with modular independent-swinging half-axles available as either

, or 8×8. 4×4 models had a front axle

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Car suspension * Cell suspension or suspension culture, in biology * Guarded suspension, a software design pattern in concurrent programming suspending a method call and the calling ...

system with adjustable torsion bars, 6×6 and 8×8 models front and rear

axles An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearin ...

had longitudinal semi-elliptic

leaf springs A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...

. 4×4 rear axle has air suspension. Permanent

, front twin steer (6×6, 8×8) drive via homo-kinetic

drive shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power (physics), power, torque, and rotation, usually ...

s, lockable differentials, inter-axle differentials with locks, and planetary hub

reductions Reductions (, also called ; ) were settlements established by Spanish rulers and Roman Catholic missionaries in Spanish America and the Spanish East Indies (the Philippines). In Portuguese-speaking Latin America, such reductions were also ...

are standard for all models. Both the 6×6 and 8×8 versions use twin-steering front-axles and the 6×6 a single rear-axle. *Front track ** 2050 mm (

KOLOS Kolos may refer to: ;People * Kolos (name), a first or last name ;Sports * Kolos (sports society), a Ukrainian sports society * Kolos Stadium (Boryspil), a multifunctional stadium in Boryspil, Ukraine * FC Kolos Bykovo, a soccer team based in Byk ...

) ** 1990 mm (6×6 Hauler, S1, 8×8 Chassis) ** 2030 mm (NT, NTH Prime movers) *Rear track ** 2000 mm (8×8 KOLOS) ** 1950 mm (6×6 Hauler, 8×8 Chassis, S 1) ** 1990 mm (NT, NTH Prime movers) *Wheelbase **T813 KOLOS - 1650+2200+1450 mm **6×6 Hauler - 1650+2700 mm **8×8 Chassis - 1650+3200+1450 mm **S1 8×8 - 1650+2800+1450 mm **NT, NTH 4×4 – 3700 mm *

Ground clearance Ride height or ground clearance is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the lowest point of the automobile, typically the bottom exterior of the differential housing (even though the lower shock mounting point may be l ...

** 380 mm (KOLOS, 6×6 Hauler) ** 330 mm (8×8 Chassis, S1 8×8) ** 300 mm (NT, NTH Prime Movers)

Transmission

The main

gearbox A transmission (also called a gearbox) is a mechanical device invented by Louis Renault (who founded Renault) which uses a gear set—two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/r ...

is behind the cabin and connected to the engine clutch housing via a short cardan

shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

(this design enables a 'flat-floor' cabin.) The main gearbox bolts to an auxiliary

, to a

transfer case A transfer case is an intermediate gearbox that transfers power from the transmission of a motor vehicle to the driven axles of four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and other multi-axled on- and off-road machines. A part of the vehicle's drivetr ...

, then to a backbone tube, and forms the main part of the chassis structure. A rear

power take off A power take-off or power takeoff (PTO) is one of several methods for taking power from a power source, such as a running engine, and transmitting it to an application such as an attached implement or separate machine. Most commonly, it is a sp ...

and a

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension (physics), tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a Bobb ...

drive were optional. Main and auxiliary gears are synchronized except first and reverse gear. The new feature was a unique 2-speed planetary overdrive system bolted between the front and rear axles. The overdrive could only be selected manually while the vehicle is stationary. The auxiliary gearbox has a neutral position so the winch and a power take-off use the main gearbox gearing for variable speed operation. From the backbone tube, torque flows to the wheels via Tatra gear differentials with differential locks, offset half-shafts, and planetary hub-reductions. * Main gearbox - 5+1 (2-5 gear synchronized) (KOLOS 8×8 & Hauler 6×6) **

gear ratios A gear train or gear set is a machine element of a mechanical system formed by mounting two or more gears on a frame such that the teeth of the gears engage. Gear teeth are designed to ensure the pitch circles of engaging gears roll on each oth ...

- (1)9.97, (2)4.96, (3)2.83, (4)1.68, (5)1.0, (R)8.58 * Main gearbox - 5+1 (2-5 gear synchronized) with splitter direct and overdrive (S1 8×8, Chassis 8×8,NT & NTH 4×4) ** gear ratios - (1)9.97, (2)4.96, (3)2.83, (4)1.68, (5)1.0, (R)8.58 ** splitter ratios - 1.0 (Direct), 0.75 (Overdrive) (electro-pneumatic control via switch on the gear lever and clutch pedal activated ) *Auxiliary gearbox - 2-speed (electro-pneumatic control via switch on the gear lever and clutch pedal activated ) ** gear ratios - 2.2, 1.62 (KOLOS & Hauler 6×6) *Step down

- single ** gear ratio - 1.68 (S1 8×8, Chassis 8×8, NT & NTH 4×4 only) * Planetary overdrive ** ratios - 1.0, 0.62 (KOLOS 8×8 & Hauler 6×6 only) *

Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

- 3× plate dry (clutch-pedal hydraulic and air-power assisted) ** - 2× plate dry (clutch-pedal hydraulic and air-power assisted) (NT & NTH 4×4 only) * Differentials ** 2× front and 2× rear (8×8 models) ** 2× front and 1× rear (6×6 models) ** 1× front and 1× rear (4×4 models) ** final drive ratio - 2.71 * Planetary hub reduction ratios ** 2.14 (KOLOS 8×8) ** 2.12 (Hauler 6×6 & S1 8×8)

Brakes

Triple-circuit

air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

"S" cam

drum brakes A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating bowl-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surface o ...

acting on all wheels drums via slack adjuster, brake cylinders are remotely vented. First brake circuit acts on front wheels, the second on rear wheels, and the third controls trailer service brakes. Remote-mounted brake valve operates via hydraulic master-/slave-cylinder principle on the Hauler 6×6 or via mechanical linkage on 8×8 models. Tatra 813 Kolos

Bodywork

Cabin is all steel construction of COE design. It does not tilt; access to the engine is via removable engine

cowling A cowling (or cowl) is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings ...

s inside the cabin. The cab is available in two-seater two-door version and "

crew cab A pickup truck or pickup is a light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removabl ...

" seven-seater four-door. The military specs cabs include a roof hatch or two in the case of the crew-cab. All cabs use a self-contained diesel heater, and can be used to warm the engine before starting. Another military feature is CTI central tire inflation system controlled from the cab for each wheel independently, plus the cab-controlled ability to pressurize gearbox and differential housings prior to fording. The 8×8 models have the ability to cross

trench A trench is a type of digging, excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale (landform), swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or trapping ...

es 1.4 meters wide and vertical obstacles 0.6 meters high. Fording depth (static including the wave) is 1.4 meters (KOLOS 8×8). The vehicle top speed is in the neighborhood of about 92 km/h (NT & NTH), 80 km/h (KOLOS), 70 km/h (hauler), 60 km/h (S1) at about 2000 engine

rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...

. * Vehicles Weights

Production

Production of Tatra T813 began in 1967 and was superseded by

in 1982. Models were available in the 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 drive configurations for civilian and military use. ** Primary models * Tatra T813 "KOLOS" 8×8 - Military heavy haulage * Tatra T813 Hauler 6×6 - Civilian heavy haulage * Tatra T813 S1 8×8 - Heavy one way tipper * Tatra T813 Cab-chassis 8×8 - Bodybuilders chassis for special use * Tatra T813 NT & NTH 4×4 - Prime movers and special applications File:T813_4x4.jpg, Crane 4×4 File:T813_6x6_civil.jpg, Airport tug T813 6×6 with

Tu-104 The Tupolev Tu-104 (NATO reporting name: Camel) is a medium-range, narrow-body, twin turbojet-powered Soviet airliner. It was the second to enter regular service, after the British de Havilland Comet and was the only jetliner operating in the wo ...

File:T813TP.jpg, T813 Hauler File:T813_FIRE.jpg, Fire 8×8 File:Lkw-tatra-813.jpg, KOLOS 8×8 with GAZ-63 File:T813_army2.JPG, T813 Rocket launcher chassis RM70 File:Slovakia_army_889.jpg, RM-70 MRL File:Brno, Řečkovice, Tatra 813.JPG, T813 6×6 File:1_Mazurska_Brygada_Artylerii_03.jpg, 152mm SpGH DANA

Sport

The T813 became popular after the fall of the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

in the West as an extreme off-road truck, participating at the various truck trials across Europe.

References

* ''Modern Utility Automobiles TATRA by design team of N.P. Tatra Kopŕivnice'', 1979, Naśe Vojsko, Prague, First edition {{Authority control Tatra trucks, T813 Military trucks of Czechoslovakia All-wheel-drive vehicles Trucks of the Czech Republic Cab over vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1960s