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The Unimog 405 is a vehicle of the
Unimog The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and ...
-series by
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
, made by Daimler Truck Holding AG.The Unimog 405's manufacturer changed its name three times throughout the Unimog 405's development phase and production run, and split off its truck business in 2019. Originally, the manufacturer's name was ''Daimler-Benz''. From 1997 until 2007, the manufacturer was called ''DaimlerChrysler'', and from 2007 until 2022, the name was ''Daimler''. Since October 2019, the truck business has been called ''Daimler Truck Holding''. ''Daimler'' changed its name to ''Mercedes-Benz Group'' in 2022; ''Mercedes-Benz Group'' has since been a majority shareholder of ''Daimler Truck Holding''. This article uses the contemporary manufacturer names. Developed in the 1990s, the Unimog 405 has been in production since 2000. Originally, DaimlerChrysler produced the Unimog at
Gaggenau Gaggenau is a town in the district of Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located some 8 km northeast of Baden-Baden. History Gaggenau was first mentioned in local records in 1243 under the name "Gaggenaw". The present district ...
; in 2002, production was moved to
Wörth am Rhein Wörth am Rhein () is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the Ger ...
. The Unimog 405 is the implement carrier version of the Unimog and the successor to most previous Unimogs. Although retaining many characteristics typical of the Unimog, the 405's axle and chassis design concept with contral artms instead of
torque tube A torque tube system is a power transmission and braking technology that involves a stationary housing around the drive shaft, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. The torque tube consists of a large diameter stationary h ...
s marks a "paradigmatic change" in Unimog design. The Unimog 405 can legally be classified as either a 7.5-tonne lorry (C1), a 40-tonne lorry (C), or agricultural tractor (T). It is produced alongside the heavy-duty, off-road lorry-like Unimog 437.4, which features a different technical design. The Unimog 405 has been made in three major variants: UGN (2000–2016), LUG (2007–2013), and UGE (since 2013). In total, 22 types of the Unimog 405 have been made, with two types (405.210 and 405.230) exclusively sold on the North-American market as the Freightliner Unimog U 500.


Unimog 405 types and model family

Throughout its more than 20-year-long production, the Unimog 405 has been developed into an implement carrier family that comprises various different ''variants'', ''models'', and ''types''. In total, three different ''variants'' of the Unimog 405 were made. DaimlerChrysler originally introduced the Unimog 405 in the ''UGN'' variant (Unimog Geräteträger Neu; new Unimog implement carrier), which was succeeded by the ''UGE'' variant in 2013. From 2007 until 2013 the ''LUG'' variant (leichter Unimog-Geräteträger; light Unimog implement carrier) was made alongside the ''UGN'' variant. In total, 13,930 Unimog 405 of the LUG and UGN variants were made; the UGE is still in production (as of November 2022) and thus has varying production figures. File:Unimog U400.jpg, UGN variant (2007–2016) File:Unimog U20 in Germany.JPG, LUG variant (2007–2013) File:Unimog-Museum Weltenbummlertreffen 2017 06 (37440724274) (cropped).jpg, UGE variant 2013–) The ''model'' designation (i.e. the sales designation) of all Unimog 405 vehicles is a three-digit number with a U-prefix, e.g. ''U 318''. The only exception is the ''LUG'' variant of the Unimog, which was sold as the ''U 20''. In the ''model'' designation, the first digit is roughly indicative of the maximum permissible payload: 2: 7.5–9.3 t, 3: 7.5–10.2 t, 4: 12–12.5 t, 5: 15.5–16 t. Since the introduction of the ''UGE'' variant in 2014, the second and third digit have been used to indicate tenths of the approximate engine power output in DIN-PS. For example, an ''Unimog U 318'' is a ''UGE'' variant with a engine, and may be classified as a 7.5-tonne lorry. There is one exception to this; the ''U 300'' model was sold as the ''U 290'' model in some markets. The UGE model designation scheme includes the ''U 427'' and ''U 435'' models. These designations are also used as the series' designations for the
Unimog 427 The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and C ...
, a predecessor of the Unimog 405, and for the
Unimog 435 The Unimog 435 is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz. 30,726 vehicles were produced from 1975 to 1993 in eight different variants in the Mercedes-Benz Unimog-plant in Gaggenau. The vehicles were sold as ''Unimog U 1300 L'' ...
. The aforementioned Unimogs 427 and 435 are different from the Unimog discussed in this article, the Unimog 405. The ''types designation in Unimog 405 is indicative of frame length (and thus wheelbase), the engine model, as well as the maximum permissible axle load. It consists of a six-digit number that begins with ''405'' and ends with a types' number. For instance, the Unimog U 318's types' designation (3000 mm wheelbase, OM 934 LA engine, low-payload axles) is ''405.104''. Compared with previous Unimogs, the 405 has a different axle concept, with different designs for low (U 2xx, U 3xx) and high (U 4xx, U 5xx) payload models. The types' designation scheme comes with different types's designations for different payload options. For instance, the 405.2xx types' designation is only used for high-payload U 5xx models. The types' designation also allows determining the Unimog 405's ''variant''.


Types, variants, and models overview

''Figures of UGN and LUG according to Unimog engineer Achim Vogt''


Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition

In December 2005,
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
presented the Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition at the
Dubai Motor Show The Dubai International Motor Show (The Middle East International Motor Show) is a biennial auto show held in the Emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Due to the high interest of expensive cars in Dubai, it attracts many major car manu ...
. The Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition is a luxury version of the Unimog, heavily modified by
Brabus Brabus GmbH ( stylized in uppercase) is a German high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company founded in 1977 in Bottrop (Ruhr area). Brabus specialises in Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart vehicles, although in 2022 it also tuned two ...
. It features chrome bumpers, exhaust tips, an all-black exterior, new body panels, and a giant steel rollover protection bar. The interior panels are made of carbon fiber, and the upholstery is made of alcantara, leather, and luxurious cloth. The windows are tinted. Many interior parts – such as the infotainment system, sound system, and steering wheel – were also used in the contemporary Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the W 220. Although based on the U 500 model, the Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition has the maximum permissible mass rating of the Unimog U 400, which is 11,990 kg. It is equipped with the 205 kW version of the OM 906 six-cylinder engine and the automatic shifting option for the gearbox; the top speed is 120 km/h. In late 2005, Mercedes-Benz announced that the Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition would be put into series production if a demand for the vehicle existed. One year later, German news paper
Die Welt ''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE. ''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter Allg ...
wrote that six Unimog U Black Edition were sold, with three being in production. The total production figure was said to be not greater than ten.


404-based 405.110

In the 1950s and 1960s, former Daimler-Benz AG used the ''Unimog U 405.110'' types' designation for a prototype of an armoured personnel carrier, based on the
Unimog 404 The Unimog 404, also called the Unimog S and Unimog 404 S, is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz, produced in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau from 1955 to 1980. Marketed as ''Unimog U82'', and later ''Unimog U110'', 64,242 units of the ...
chassis. Although bearing the same fundamental design principle, the 404-based Unimog 405.110 is technically very different from the modern Unimog 405, and thus not included in the Unimog 405 family.


History


1994 – 2000: Development phase

The planning of the Unimog 405 project began in 1994. According to Unimog engineer Carl-Heinz Vogler, a market analysis showed that Unimog customers demanded a more dedicated implement carrier version of the Unimog. At
Daimler-Benz The Mercedes-Benz Group Aktiengesellschaft, AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ...
it was decided to make a forward-control vehicle with reducued off-road capability but improved implement carrier capabilities. This marks a paradigmatic change in Unimog design. The new Unimog series was supposed to have four options for mounting implements: In front, in back, on the bed, and in between the axles. Also, the new implement carrier Unimog, which would later become the 405, was planned to have a much more sophisticated single- or dual-circuit hydraulics system than previous Unimogs. Eventually, in 1996, the board of directors and the works council agreed upon developing and producing the new Unimog series at the Mercedes-Benz-Werk Gaggenau. Original development was carried out within 39 months, from 1996 until 2000. Former DaimlerChrysler developed a product requirements document together with selected customers and equipment manufacturers. Key points were, among others, increased driver comfort and functionality, one-man operation, increased payload, tractor operation, road-rail operation, compatibility with existing tools, and increased economy. DaimlerChrysler engineers used computerised design tools such as
CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
, FEM, as well as driving dynamics and road simulation in the Unimog 405's development; previous Unimog series – such as the
Unimog 406 The Unimog 406 is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz. A total of 37,069 units were manufactured by the Daimler-Benz AG in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau from 1963 to 1989. The 406 was the first medium duty Unimog, having a larger wheel ...
– were mostly developed with conventional (i.e. largely non-computerised) engineering methods.In his 2016 book "Unimog 406 – Typengeschichte und Technik", Unimog engineer Carl-Heinz Vogler describes that 3 m² drafting tables were used in Unimog 406 design, cf.


2000 – 2007: Introduction of the UGN

In March 2000, the Unimog 405 was officially presented to the public as the new Unimog implement carrier (UGN). Series production of the U 300 and U 400 models commenced in April 2000; the U 500 model followed in February 2001. In 2002, the Unimog 405 was introduced in North America as the ''Freightliner Unimog U 500'' for the 2003 model year. During summer that year, production was moved from Gaggenau to
Wörth am Rhein Wörth am Rhein () is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the Ger ...
. On 26 August 2002, the first Unimog 405 – a U 400 – rolled off the Wörth plant's assembly line. DaimlerChrysler designed two types specifically for the North American market, the 405.210 short wheelbase type and 405.230 long wheelbase type. They have about 500 parts that are different compared to the German Unimog 405 types, most notably, an OM 906 engine tuned to comply with US emissions regulations. In 2007, the Unimog 405 was discontinued in the United States. In total, 183 units were made.


2006 – 2014: Changes to the UGN and short-lived LUG

2006 brought changes to European motor vehicle legislation which eventually resulted in the Unimog 405 being updated. To comply with the then-new Euro IV emissions standard, the Unimog 405 was equipped with a
selective catalytic reduction Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a means of converting nitrogen oxides, also referred to as with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen (), and water (). A reductant, typically anhydrous ammonia (), aqueous ammonia (), or a urea () s ...
catalyst. DaimlerChrysler incremented the types's designations by one, e.g. the ''405.100'' became the ''405.101''. In September 2006, the Unimog U 20 was presented at the 61st IAA-Nutzfahrzeuge in
Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...
. Series production eventually commenced on 23 October 2007, and the first U 20 was delivered in January 2008. Daimler discontinued the Unimog U 20 in 2014 when the Euro VI emissions standard came into effect. It was succeeded by the U 216 and U 218 models, which are slightly bigger in size.


2013 – present: UGE

In April 2013, Daimler AG introduced the UGE variant of the Unimog 405. The UGE is technically similar to the UGN, but comes standard with the OM 934 or OM 936 engines, and has a different exterior styling. The model naming scheme was changed with the UGE, as described above. Series production began on 22 August 2013. In summer 2021, Daimler Truck Holding presented new top models of the Unimog 405 range, the U 435 and the U 535. They are fitted with a Euro VIe-compliant version of the OM 936 Diesel engine that is rated at 260 kW, which is a boost in power of 40 kW compared to the previous top models, the U 430 and U 530. The increase in power was achieved by increasing the BMEP to  MPa. To manage the high torque output, Daimler Truck Holding designed a new gearbox for the U 435 and U 535 models, the UG 130. Another new feature to the Unimog 405 range is the optional, self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension. The U 435 and U 535 models were made available in early 2022. Also in 2022, the U 327 model was added to the lighter U 3xx model range. Technically, it is an Unimog U 427. It has the Unimog U 427's axles, dimensions, and is equipped with the 200 kW version of the straight-6 OM 936 Diesel engine. Previously, the U 2xx and U 3xx models were only offered with 110, 115, 130 or the 170 kW engine options.


Technical description

Unlike previous Unimogs, the Unimog 405 is, seen from a technical perspective, primarily designed as a two-axle, off-road capable implement carrier rather than a dedicated off-road vehicle that can mount implements. The payload is also significantly greater than in previous Unimogs; the total permissible mass of the Unimog 405 is up to 16,000 kg. This is primarily achieved through the Unimog 405's frame and axle design.


Chassis

The Unimog 405 has a conventional flat ladder frame made from E 500 TM
HSLA steel High-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA) is a type of alloy steel that provides better mechanical properties or greater resistance to corrosion than carbon steel. HSLA steels vary from other steels in that they are not made to meet a specific chemic ...
. It was designed using FEM technology. Like in conventional lorries, the frame has bolted closed cross profiles which result in a high torsion stiffness. This allows more payload than the bent frame of previous Unimogs. DaimlerChrysler designed the frame with different length and wheelbase options. The axles are coil-sprung
portal axle Portal axles (or portal gear lifts) are an off-road vehicle suspension and drive technology where the axle tube or the half-shaft is off-set from – usually above – the center of the wheel hub and where driving power is transferred to each whe ...
s with hydraulic shock absorbers, and have dedicated transverse and longitudinal control arms as well as a pair of longitudinal control arms with an integrated roll stabiliser. This is different from previous Unimogs in which
torque tube A torque tube system is a power transmission and braking technology that involves a stationary housing around the drive shaft, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. The torque tube consists of a large diameter stationary h ...
s are used as longitudinal control arms. This design gives the Unimog 405 a significantly improved onroad handling. In total, DaimlerChrysler designed six different axles with two different axle load capabilities for the Unimog 405: The AU4 and HU4 front- and rear axles for the U 2xx and U 3xx models,Since 2022, the Unimog U 327 has been on sale, which is technically a high-payload Unimog U 427 and thus has AU5/HU5 axles, a longer frame, and a bigger engine; cf. Daimler Truck Holding
Unimog U 327 tech specs
/ref> the AU5 and HU5 front- and rear axles for the U 4xx and U 500 models, and the AU6 and HU6 front- and rear axles for the U 527 / U 530 / U 535. The latter four axles make the frame sit slightly higher (30 mm). The track width of 1734 mm / 1768 mm is narrow enough for road-rail use. The U 4xx and U 5xx models can be equipped with two AU5 front axles as a factory option (to enable all-wheel steering), and are also available with hydropneumatic axle suspenstion instead of traditional coil spring suspension. Many Unimog 405 models come standard with 315/80 R 22.5 tyres, but smaller and larger tyres can also be fitted to the 405. A tyre pressure control system is not standard, but available as a factory option. The UGN U 300 has a combined hydraulic/pneumatic braking system; all other models are equipped with a solely pneumatic braking system. The Unimog 405 has disc brakes on all wheels, and automatic load-dependent brake force control (ALB) as well as
anti-lock braking An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintainin ...
(ABS). The parking brake is spring-loaded, and acts on the rear wheels. The centre, rear axle, and front axle differentials are lockable to allow different amounts of torque to be sent to the wheels. The 405 has a hydraulically power-assisted, ''LS 6 Bk'' recirculating ball steering system. The reduction (i) of the steering gearbox is steer angle dependent to improve handling at high speeds and maneuvering in tight spots. In its default configuration, the Unimog 405 is a left-hand drive vehicle. An either-hand drive version – which can be switched, by the driver, with a simple "flick of the wrist" from left-hand drive to right-hand drive (and vice versa) – is available as a factory option. In the either-hand drive version, the entire steering column, gauge cluster, and pedals can be moved by the driver without special tools.


Cab

The Unimog 405 has been made with two different cabs, a forward-control cab (LUG variant) and a short-bonnet cab (UGN and UGE variants). Both cabs have one-row seating; a crew cab is not available from the factory.


UGN and UGE

The cab found in the UGN and UGE variants was developed by
Dornier Consulting Dornier Group GmbH''isan international consulting and project management company that operates in the fields of traffic, transport, the environment and water. The German parent company was established in 1962 from the former Dornier Planungsber ...
. It makes the 405 a short-bonnet lorry with the engine installed just below the cab. The bonnet is unusually short and steep for a short-bonnet lorry, and the cab is fitted with a rather large, slightly curved but almost upright windscreen. This design does not only enable good forward visibility, but also allows the driver to sit ''behind'' the front axle for better 360° visibility. The bonnet's steepness is possible because the engine radiators are installed behind the front wheels, and not underneath the bonnet. The cab is made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), which makes the cab light, stiff, and rigid, and allows unconventionally shaped body parts that would not be possible if the cab was made of steel. The polymers used are carbon-based, and the fibres are conventional glass fibres. In total, the cab is made of only ten different types of body parts (14 body parts in total) that are glued together in the Unimog plant in Wörth. For maintenance, the cab can be tilted. An "extending"Wischhof et al. refer to this door as the ''mowing door'' (German: Mähtür), because it was specifically designed for mowbar operators; cf. Wischhof et al. (2000), p. 862 passenger side door – which gives an implement operator better visibility – was available as a factory option. A major difference between the – otherwise more or less identical UGN and UGE cabs – is the windscreen wiper design. In the UGN, the windscreen wipers are installed below the windscreen, whereas the UGE variant has them installed above the windscreen.


LUG

With the Unimog U 20 type 405.050 LUG variant of the Unimog 405, Daimler introduced the first forward-control Unimog.The Unimog U 20 is the first series production forward control Unimog. In 1969, Daimler-Benz presented an
Unimog 416 The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and ...
prototype that had the forward-control cab of the Mercedes-Benz L 314 lorry instead of the
Unimog 406 The Unimog 406 is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz. A total of 37,069 units were manufactured by the Daimler-Benz AG in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau from 1963 to 1989. The 406 was the first medium duty Unimog, having a larger wheel ...
cab. The forward-control 416 was not put into series production; cf. Michael Wessel:
Vor 50 Jahren vorgestellt: Unimog mit Lkw-Fahrerhaus
', Badisches Tageblatt, 23 December 2019
It shares its cab with the
Mercedes-Benz Accelo Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
lorry. Compared with other 405s, the U 20's cab is 110 mm shorter, and installed much more up front. Therefore, the U 20's front overhang is about 200 mm longer, and the driver's seat is installed approximately 600 mm further forward. Unlike the conventional cab, the U 20 cab is made of steel. It was made in Brazil and shipped to Wörth for assembly.


Gearbox and drivetrain


Powertrain principle

The Unimog 405 has a powertrain principle with two mechanical torque paths; a third, hydraulic torque take-off is available as a factory option. The mechanical torque path is designed with two gearboxes, one up front and one centre gearbox; the engine is installed in between these gearboxes. While the torque sent to the front gearbox can only be sent to front implements (with the front PTO), the torque sent to the centre gearbox can be sent into three different paths: To a direct engine power take-off, for instance, for powering hydraulic systems; to either low or high-speed implements such as crane/excavator implements or firebrigade centrifugal pumps; and to the wheels. Unlike previous Unimogs, which have switchable all-wheel drive, the Unimog 405 has permanent all-wheel drive.


UG 100/8 gearbox

Except for the U 535 and U 435, all Unimog 405 models have a synchromesh UG 100/8 gearbox with helical cut gears and electronically controlled, hydropneumatic shifting with manual gear selection. This gearbox has a modular design and allows various different factory options. In its base configuration, the gearbox has ''four'' gears and ''two'' ranges. A separate reverse gear unit is flange-mounted to the UG 100/8 gearbox. This design results in eight forward and eight reverse gears. The reverse gear unit has a different gear ratio for the reverse range, and the last two gears are electronically locked by default to prevent reverse speeds beyond 30 km/h. In road-rail Unimogs, all reverse gears are usable; the highest reverse speed is 61.9 km/h. By default, the UG 100/8 gearbox is mated with a single-disc dry clutch (i.e. foot-operated with a clutch pedal). An additional three range gearbox – giving the Unimog dedicated drive, work, and crawl ranges – is available as a factory option; it extends the number of gears to 24 forward and 24 reverse (of which, as described, two are electronically locked). With the additional three range gearbox, the speed range is 0.1–85 km/h;Some models have been offered with an 89 km/h top speed, cf. Daimler Truck Holding AG:
Unimog implent carrier transmissions
'
the top speed is electronically limited.


UG 130 gearbox

The UG 130 gearbox is the standard gearbox in the U 535 and U 435 models. It is similar to the UG 100 gearbox in terms of design, but is capable of accepting a higher input torque of around 1300 N·m.


Hydrodynamic torque converter and dry single-disc clutch

For road-rail use, the Unimog 405 is offered with a combined dry single-disc
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). ...
and hydrodynamic
torque converter A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the power ...
.Daimler Truck Holding refers to this system as the "converter-clutch unit"; cf. Daimler Truck Holding AG:
Unimog implent carrier transmissions
'; ZF calls it the ''Torque Converter Clutch'', cf

in German-language scientific literature, (cf. Wischhof et al. p. 690) this is called a ''Wandlerschaltkupplung'' (abbreviated as WSK), which roughly translates into English as "(hydrodynamic torque) converter shifting clutch"
From the engine, the torque is sent to the hydrodynamic torque converter which provides a two-times torque multiplication, before the torque is sent through the dry single-disc clutch to the gearbox. This design allows setting off with a very high tow hitch load (e.g. laden
trucks 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 ...
) without wearing out the dry single-disc clutch. When a certain speed is reached, a
lock-up 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) ...
in the hydrodynamic torque converter is engaged, and only the dry single-disc clutch is used for transmitting torque to the gearbox. Unimogs equipped with this system have automatic clutch actuation, and, therefore, have no clutch pedal; gear shifting is still manual. An automated version of the gearbox is available as a factory option.


Hydrostatic drive

A
hydrostatic drive Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout the machine and ...
is available as a factory option. It is flange-mounted to the UG 100/8 gearbox and fully independent of the engine (and thus front PTO) speed. Its electronic control system allows indefinitely adjustable speeds of 0...25 km/h,In newer models, the speed range is 0–50 km/h, cf. Daimler Truck Holding:
EasyDrive
'
and it is operated either by a hand lever, or with the accelerator pedal.


Front PTO gearbox

The front gearbox is a single-speed gearbox with a reduction of i=2.139, resulting in a rated PTO speed of 1000/min. Torque is sent to this gearbox through a driveshaft, directly from the engine. To disengage the front gearbox, it is equipped with a torsion clutch and a hydraulic multiplate clutch. The PTO speed can be electronically locked at 540/min; the maximum take-off power is 150 kW.


Engines

The Unimog 405 is powered by Mercedes-Benz OM 900 series engines. The OM 900 series consists of four- and six-cylinder Diesel engines and has been made in several different versions. In the Unimog 405, the OM 904, OM 906, OM 934, and OM 936 have been used.


OM 904 and OM 906

The OM 904 four-cylinder and OM 906 six-cylinder engines were the first OM 900 series engines, introduced in 1996. They have a 102 mm cylinder bore and 130 mm piston stroke, resulting in a displacement of  cm³ (OM 904) or  cm³ (OM 906). Both engine models share the same design principle; they are water-cooled straight engines with a
reverse-flow cylinder head In engine technology, a reverse-flow or non-crossflow cylinder head is one that locates the intake and exhaust ports on the same side of the engine. The gases can be thought to enter the cylinder head and then change direction to exit the head. T ...
made of
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
. The OM 904/906 has a three-valve OHV valvetrain, with two intake valves, and one exhaust valve per cylinder. In addition to that, the engine has a decompression valve and an exhaust throttle valve for
engine braking Engine braking occurs when the retarding forces within an engine are used to slow down a motor vehicle, as opposed to using additional external braking mechanisms such as friction brakes or magnetic brakes. The term is often confused with sever ...
. The valves are actuated by an in-block camshaft, pushrods, and rocker arms. Instead of a conventional injection pump, the OM 904/906 engines have a unit injection pump system with one unit injection pump per cylinder. The unit injection pump creates the injection pressure with a camshaft-driven plunger. The actual fuel injector is connected to the unit injection pump with a short fuel line. This is different from Volkswagen's Pumpe-Düse system that combines the fuel injector and the unit injection pump into a single unit injector device. Nonetheless, the Mercedes-Benz unit injection pump system also has electronically actuated solenoid valves that can be freely actuated during the unit injection pump plunger actuation, allowing multiple injections per power stroke. The highest injection pressure is up to 160 MPa. In order to achieve high efficiency, Daimler-Benz installed a single wastegate turbocharger and an air-to-air intercooler. The turbocharger's exhaust turbine is relatively small to achieve good turbo response; it has a fixed turbine geometry, and a wastegate. At 1300/min, the OM 906's BMEP reaches its maximum of 2.17 MPa which is achieved through a high turbo boost of 285 kPa. The rated fuel consumption of the OM 906 is 188 g/(kW·h) at 1450/min and a BMEP of 1.6 MPa. When the Unimog 405 was first introduced, it was available with the 110 and 130 kW versions of the OM 904, and the 170 and 205 kW versions of the OM 906, which were all Euro-III compliant. Throughout the vehicle's production run, all engines were increased in power by 5 kW (except for the 130 kW version), and updated to comply with the Euro IV and V emissions standards. For reducing
nitrogen oxides Nitrogen oxide may refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds: Charge-neutral *Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide, or nitrogen monoxide *Nitrogen dioxide (), nitrogen(IV) oxide *Nitrogen trioxide (), or ni ...
from the
exhaust Exhaust, exhaustive, or exhaustion may refer to: Law *Exhaustion of intellectual property rights, limits to intellectual property rights in patent and copyright law **Exhaustion doctrine, in patent law ** Exhaustion doctrine under U.S. law, in p ...
, the Euro IV and V models were fitted with a
selective catalytic reduction Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a means of converting nitrogen oxides, also referred to as with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen (), and water (). A reductant, typically anhydrous ammonia (), aqueous ammonia (), or a urea () s ...
device. The Freightliner Unimog has an OM 906 engine detuned to 194 kW to comply with the EPA4 emissions standard. It was not updated to a newer emissions standard, because DaimlerChrysler discontinued the Unimog on the North American market in 2007, prior to the EPA7 emission standard taking effect. Both the OM 904 and the OM 906 can operate on
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 ...
, or
rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...
oil
methyl ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides are fa ...
s (RME).


OM 934 and OM 936

In 2012, Daimler AG introduced the Euro VI OM 934 and OM 936 Diesel engines, which succeeded the OM 904 and OM 906 Diesel engines. Daimler has been using the OM 934/936 in the Unimog 405 since 2013; the engines are offered with power outputs of 115, 130, 170 (OM 934), or 200, 220, and 260 kW (OM 936). The maximum engine braking power is 178 kW (OM 934) / 302 kW (OM 936). As in the predecessor engine family, the OM 934 and OM 936 share their basic design with a 110 mm bore and a 135 mm stroke, resulting in displacements of  cm³ (OM 934) or  cm³ (OM 936). The compression is ε=17.6, and the engines are turbocharged. Instead of the unit injection pump system, the engines feature a common-rail injection system with electronically controlled solenoid valves and an injection pressure of up to 240 MPa. This system allows up to five injections per power stroke. The cylinder head design is also vastly different from the OM 904/906. Daimler designed the new engines with a
crossflow cylinder head A crossflow cylinder head is a cylinder head that features the intake and exhaust ports on opposite sides. The gases can be thought to flow across the head. This is in contrast to reverse-flow cylinder head designs that have the ports on the same ...
with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The exhaust camshaft is fitted with the
variable valve timing In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with varia ...
system from the Mercedes-Benz M 272 V6 Otto engine. The variable valve timing is used in the exhaust gas treatment system for increasing exhaust gas temperatures. Daimler fitted the engine with a
diesel particulate filter A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a device designed to remove diesel particulate matter or soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine.Tom Nash (May 2003) "Diesels: The Smoke is clearing", ''Motor '' Vol.199 No. 5, p. 54, Hearst Business Publ ...
and
selective catalytic reduction Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a means of converting nitrogen oxides, also referred to as with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen (), and water (). A reductant, typically anhydrous ammonia (), aqueous ammonia (), or a urea () s ...
.


Hydraulic system

The Unimog 405 can be equipped with two hydraulic systems, the ''power'' hydraulic system and the ''implement'' hydraulic system. Both of these systems have two hydraulic circuits, giving the Unimog 405 four independent hydraulic circuits in total. The combined total power output of the hydraulic system is 130 kW. Excess energy in the hydraulic system that is not converted into mechanical work is dissipated with a hydraulic oil cooler. A joystick is used for operating the hydraulic system.


Power hydraulic system

The power hydraulic system is designed for implements that require continuous high power in the 40 kW range. It is installed below the bed area, in between the longitudinal frame members, and can be uninstalled whenever it is not required. Unlike the implement hydraulic system, the power hydraulic system is permanently powered through a driveshaft from the engine, and thus independent of the selected gear or vehicle speed. The power hydraulic system has an open, and a closed hydraulic circuit. In the open circuit, a high volumetric flow rate is maintained which requires a big hydraulic oil reservoir. It is used for powering implements that require the aforementioned high volumetric flow rate, such as hydraulic cylinders in excavator or crane implements. Implements that do not require a high volume flow rate can be powered with the more compact closed circuit.


Implement hydraulic system

The implement hydraulic system is designed for powering smaller implements used with the Unimog 405. Different numbers of hydraulic pumps and different numbers of hydraulic valves can be fitted to the hydraulic circuits in the system to match implement requirements. The power output is relatively low, at <20 kW per circuit.


Electric and electronical systems

The Unimog 405 has a 24 V electrical system. It comes standard with a three-phase AC 28 V alternator that provides a current of 80 A; 100 A is available as a factory option. As is standard in many lorries, the Unimog 405 has two 12 V lead acid batteries in a
series circuit Two-terminal components and electrical networks can be connected in series or parallel. The resulting electrical network will have two terminals, and itself can participate in a series or parallel topology. Whether a two-terminal "object" is an ...
. The amount of
electric charge Electric charge is the physical property of matter that causes charged matter to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be ''positive'' or ''negative'' (commonly carried by protons and electrons respe ...
the batteries can provide is 115 A·h; 135 A·h batteries are also available. For powering implements, Unimog 405 models are equipped with 12 V or 24 V sockets in the front bumper, in the cab, at the rear, and the battery box (that is installed behind the cab). All Unimog 405 models have a
CAN bus A Controller Area Network (CAN bus) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other's applications without a host computer. It is a message-based protocol, designed originally for mu ...
system and
electronic control unit An electronic control unit (ECU), also known as an electronic control module (ECM), is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a car or other motor vehicle. Modern vehic ...
s for the engine, the instrument cluster, the gearbox, all power take-off systems, and a separate electronic tachograph. Both the accelerator pedal and the shift lever are electronic and have no mechanical connection to the unit injection pumps or gearbox.


Technical specifications

The Unimog 405 is a small-series production vehicle and has been offered with various different special factory options; the following technical specifications tables only list the most common models with standard factory options.


UGN

''All technical specifications according to Wischhof et al. (2000). Note that this table only includes standard options. The OM 906 LA was also offered in the U 300 on request.''


LUG

''Technical specifications according to Achim Vogt''


UGE

;2013 model year ''Engine specifications according to Andreescu et al.; all other data according to Daimler AG''Daimler AG (ed.):
Der neue Unimog. Technische Informationen U 216 bis U 530.
', in German, 17 June 2013
;2022 model year


Notes


References


External links



{{Unimog Mercedes-Benz vehicles Mercedes-Benz trucks