The Tatra T813 was a

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

produced in

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

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 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 configurat ...

4×4 Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to 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 ...

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

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

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

and

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

History

The prototype, made of Tatra 138 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 8×8

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. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one ...

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

. 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 A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority featu ...

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

V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve- cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines. The ...

T-930 was created by adding four cylinders to the existing T-928 75° V8 engine of the Tatra T138 series. The crankshaft uses six individual journals bolted together with front and rear pins running on the main roller bearings on the

axial Axial may refer to: * one of the anatomical directions describing relationships in an animal body * In geometry: :* a geometric term of location :* an axis of rotation * In chemistry, referring to an axial bond * a type of modal frame, in music * ...

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding (motion), sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative la ...

thrust Thrust is a reaction force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can al ...

washers. The

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

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

diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, 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 result of compression of the inlet air and ...

petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...

/gasoline, and

kerosene Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning " wax", and was reg ...

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

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 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, bearing ...

had longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs. 4×4 rear axle has air suspension. Permanent

, front twin steer (6×6, 8×8) drive via homo-kinetic drive shafts, lockable differentials, inter-axle differentials with locks, and planetary hub

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

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 (Borispil), a multifunctional stadium in Boryspil, Ukraine * FC Kolos Bykovo, a soccer team based in Bykovo ...

) ** 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 axle); or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and the lowest p ...

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

Transmission

The main

gearbox Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), diffe ...

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 a part of the drivetrain of four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and other multiple powered axle vehicles. The transfer case transfers power from the transmission to the front and rear axles by means of drive shafts. It also s ...

, 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 of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attac ...

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 - (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 engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts ...

- 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 "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 cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...

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. * Main wheel brakes ----> dual circuit drum brakes "S" cam type * Park brake ----> mechanical via output-shaft and drum at the back of the gearbox * Supplementary brake ---->

exhaust brake An exhaust brake is a means of slowing a diesel engine by closing off the exhaust path from the engine, causing the exhaust gases to be compressed in the exhaust manifold, and in the cylinder. Since the exhaust is being compressed, and there is no ...

electro-pneumatic brake 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 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 are a cove ...

s inside the cabin. The cab is available in two-seater two-door version and " crew cab" 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 excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from ero ...

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 50mph, or 92 km/h (NT & NTH), 80 km/h (KOLOS), 70 km/h (hauler), 60 km/h (S1) at about 2000 engine rpm. * 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 retired twinjet, medium-range, narrow-body turbojet-powered Soviet airliner. It was the second to enter regular service, behind the British de Havilland Comet, and was the only jetliner oper ...

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 The RM-70 (''Raketomet vzor 1970'') multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak Army version and heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent area-saturation rocket artillery system tha ...

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 The DANA (Dělo automobilní nabíjené automaticky (gun on truck loaded automatically) is a wheeled self-propelled artillery piece. It is also known as the Samohybná Kanónová Húfnica vzor 77 (ShKH vz. 77; self-propelled gun howitzer model ...

Sport

T813 became popular after the fall of the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political 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. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

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 {{Tatra models T813 Cars of the Czech Republic Military trucks of Czechoslovakia All-wheel-drive vehicles Trucks of the Czech Republic Cab over vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1960s