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 construction ...

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 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 (that is, to receive power from the engine) simultaneously. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetr ...

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 or

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 nationa ...

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 Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

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 so ...

History

The prototype, made of

Tatra 138 The Tatra 138 was a truck produced in Czechoslovakia by the Tatra company. 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 from 1959 t ...

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

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 stra ...

. 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, 12x ...

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 Naturally may refer to: ;Albums * ''Naturally!'', an album by Nat Adderley * ''Naturally'' (Houston Person album) * ''Naturally'' (J. J. Cale album) * ''Naturally'' (John Pizzarelli album) * ''Naturally'' (Sharon Jones album) * ''Naturally'' ...

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 fi ...

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 piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...

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. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion 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 syst ...

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 distinct ...

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 t ...

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 co ...

/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 regi ...

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 enhanc ...

Chassis

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

, 6×6, or 8×8. 4×4 models had a front axle

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...

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 rotation, rotating wheel and axle, 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 ...

had longitudinal semi-elliptic

leaf springs A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the 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 Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

(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 and torque and rotation, usually ...

s, 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 redu ...

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) ** 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), differe ...

is behind the cabin and connected to the engine clutch housing via a short cardan shaft (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 syn ...

, 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) attache ...

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 is a mechanical system formed by mounting gears on a frame so the teeth of the gears engage. Gear teeth are designed to ensure the pitch circles of engaging gears roll on each other without slipping, providing a smooth transmission ...

- (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 Overdrive may refer to: Organizations * OverDrive, Inc., a digital distributor of entertainment media ** OverDrive Media Console, a media player developed by OverDrive, Inc. * Overdrive PC, a subsidiary of Velocity Micro Technology * 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 The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

"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 A railway brake is a type of brake used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration (downhill) or to keep them immobile when parked. While the basic principle is similar to that on road vehicle usage, operational f ...

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 A pickup truck or pickup is a light-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 removable covering) ...

" 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 eros ...

es 1.4 meters wide and

vertical Vertical is a geometric term of location which may refer to: * Vertical direction, the direction aligned with the direction of the force of gravity, up or down * Vertical (angles), a pair of angles opposite each other, formed by two intersecting s ...

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 Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

. * 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 The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling noz ...

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

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