The M-72 motorcycle of the Soviet period was produced in large quantities, from 1940 to 1960, at several factories. It was made in Kyiv (KMZ), Leningrad, in the city of Gorky (GMZ), in Irbit (IMZ), at the Moscow Motorcycle Plant (MMZ). Initially, the M-72 heavy motorcycle was produced exclusively for supply to the armed forces. The vehicle was equipped with a light machine gun, which was mounted on the front of the carriage. The motorcycle did not enter the civilian trade, and if any person appeared “riding” an M-72, he was stopped and the car was taken away without explanation.
Military purpose
The M-72 motorcycle was classified using the term "armored vehicle", although it was not armored. It was supplied to motorized rifle army units and was the basic infantry vehicle for combat on level ground. The motorcycle was not of decisive importance in the battles of World War II, since it was not protected from enemy shells and bullets. It was enough for a small fragment of a mine to hit the engine, and it would stop, the soldiers were left without cover and died. The M-72 could be used effectively only in the event of a lightning attack, in a situation of surprise, when the enemy was confused and could not offer resistance.
I have never felt any awe or special love for the Soviet motorcycle industry. In the 80s of my childhood, many friends rode in Riga and Verkhovyna, then in Minsk and Voskhody, and some in Izha and the Urals. Most often they assembled and sorted them themselves in garages, with which I sometimes helped them. He even helped to cross Minsk with the Izhevsk engine... But he himself was completely indifferent to two wheels. If something was even a little catchy, it was Planet-Sport and Java. Because they at least somehow resembled the beautiful Japanese motorcycles from the Behind the Wheel magazines. Despite the lack of strong traction, I have ridden many motorcycles both myself and as a passenger. At the age of 16, I received a license of category “A” (I passed it simultaneously with categories “B” and “C”, since I studied to become a driver at the school Criminal Procedure Code). But from the age of 17 to 45 I rode a motorcycle only 2 times. One of them ended with a friend flying into a ditch in Java... on soft grass. Without physical consequences, but with the conclusion “well, it’s not safe...”. But I was drawn to cars and I’ve been driving them since I was 16 years old without breaks. Interest in motorcycles began to appear 5-7 years ago, when cruisers and choppers began to actively appear on our streets. Apparently, watching “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Cowboy” in my youth, as well as “Easy Rider” and other American films with bikes and bikers, still left a nagging trace somewhere in the subconscious. These bassy vroom-vrooms, these leisurely rides between rows of parked cars or just along the city streets, these groups of bikers hanging out near cafes and parks... they were a magnet! It’s strange, but sports, tourists and endurikes did not evoke any feelings at all. And even more so domestic motorcycles. Well, perhaps a slight nostalgia for childhood, like all sorts of Kopeks with Muscovites.
As a result, the interest grew into increased interest, and then into a huge interest with the involvement of Google, and in the fall of 2014 I decided to wander around the motorcycle showrooms of Novosibirsk to see, touch and sit in person. It ended sadly. That is, it was not possible to just touch and sit. I wanted to buy each of the shiny beauties. And it seemed impossible to choose; everyone was good in their own way. Until I came across my love at first sight named Motsik (see garage, DragStar1100 Custom). Lowered, with a tuned exhaust and fork offset... I sat on it and... and bought it. I skated the 2015 season with delight (by the way, the first ride was on April 18, in the DR of Bikepost)))) I skate this season with no less delight.
But... Fate brought me together with Master Roman (here nickname Hammerbike). I turned to him with a small request to make arches for my Motsik. And while the arcs were being made, I managed to get acquainted with his creations and simply favorites in his garage. And oddly enough, the creator of the custom “Crimea” and “Ryzhiy” spoke with the greatest warmth about his “grandfathers”: the blue “Emka” (M72) and “Stroller” (M62). At first I thought that this was some kind of quirk of the artist, that is, a whim or strangeness. Well, why love them? They don’t stick, they don’t shine, they’re not original, they break and require attention and work with tools... in a word, “grandfathers”. Well, perhaps they are suitable for a museum. I looked at them as if they were museum pieces in the corner of Roman’s garage.
But one day the “stroller” met me not in the corner of the garage, but at the gate... I met me with the unhurried and fairly even rattling of its lower rear seat... and this sound, and, oddly enough, the smell and vibrations (I, of course, immediately climbed into the seat)... here Then it came over me!
Damn... this was all in me before, but somewhere in the depths. Memories. From somewhere under-consciousness. As a child, THIS was exactly what surrounded me. I remembered (my grandfather and mother often told me) that until the age of 2 it was impossible to calm me down or put me to sleep in any other way than to put me in the sidecar of a motorcycle and go for a ride... I was guaranteed to fall asleep, but I had to ride for at least half an hour, otherwise woke up. And later they took me on horseback “to mowing” and just to visit the neighboring village. In general, it was impossible to go somewhere without me in the tank. Well, or in a stroller. And in general... (sharing a secret)... I was born a couple of weeks earlier than planned, since my uncle, having arrived on vacation, spent the whole day riding my pregnant mother on a motorcycle around the outskirts of the village. This is my connection with our Soviet motorcycle industry. It turned out. More precisely, it came to light or was simply remembered.
And then (somehow very opportunely) Roman declares that in his garage there is almost a complete set of spare parts for another M-72. And he is going to start collecting it “for someone.” Hm. Guess who became this “unknown”? I would like to note that Monsieur Roman knows a lot about perversions! 4 months of assembly, fitting, painting, tuning - this is already a self-sufficient process in order to fall in love with the assembled moto, the skeleton of which will gradually grow overgrown with meat before your eyes. Roman and I had no goal of restoring the M72 to its absolute original. There are many modern spices: 12-volt electrics, electronic ignition, modern paint, a black engine, a Harley air vent, an ignition key and a relay regulator were moved to the retro-Harley glove compartment on the starboard side, instead of a rubber saddle on one spring there is a leather one on two springs. Turn signals and a rear view mirror not provided by the manufacturer are also installed.
But this is all bullshit compared to the sensations of driving. These sensations can be succinctly and completely characterized by one simple Japanese word, ZEN. Zen begins from the moment you press the carburetor buttons, waiting for the moment when gasoline begins to flow to the ground. Then a couple of foot movements on the kickstarter without turning on the ignition (yes, yes, first you fill the carts full of gasoline, and then pump them or blow them out, but that’s how it is necessary). Then you turn on the ignition and if you’re lucky, then from the first “tyke”, and if not, then from the tenth, but... it comes to life. No, no, it doesn’t “start up”, but rather comes to life. Snorts and growls in anticipation of a walk. You command him “nooooo”, pull the reins, the spurs in the sides... ugh... you squeeze the clutch with the reverse lever, engage the first one and, with a snorting gas pedal, slowly and slowly set off. You get to fourth gear slowly in 20-30-40 seconds... by this point the speed is already about forty kameche! Here you can turn on cruise control. Yes Yes Yes! He is! Moreover, I recently read arguments between Harleyists and Goldovods about how many buttons are needed to control the cruise. Harley only has one, but Honda has many. But my “Starche” doesn’t have one. But there IS cruise control))) Maybe someone knows and will write in the comments, and those who don’t know can ask in the comments. I'll tell you a secret. Just don’t tell the Harleyists and Goldovods. Offend ishsho... And Zen continues. Goes on forever. The Starche's cruising speed is about 60-70. I didn’t overclock it to more than 80 - I have no desire. You're driving along the highway and wondering where everyone is going in such a hurry?! You are surprised, surprised, surprised, and in the end you inevitably decide to turn off the road onto a field or forest path. And here you comprehend True Zen! This motorcycle does not “vroom-vroom”, but “sneeze-puff-puff-puff”... and on earthy paths the sound becomes somehow quieter... is it absorbed into the ground or something? In general, you roll in 3-4 gears on cruise control, overcoming curves, hills and any steep hill, playfully in complete harmony with the world. It’s not for you to conquer nature on an endurike! Here you don’t conquer her, but simply flow into her naturally...
This is how things are...
PS Oh yes. I almost forgot about attention. Eat. They come up one at a time and in groups at a gas station, at a car wash, at a store, at a house, at garages, on a path, and even from some cars they try, slowing down next to my cruising room and waving their hands from the windows, winking and showing me the backs of their phones. PPS About reliability. I've traveled about 300 km so far. The generator burned out and was replaced. But it burned “as it should.” Not on the road or in the forest, but at Roman’s gate, when I stopped by to visit him. So the replacement was painless for me. I have a caring “Older”. But I will change the generator again to a more powerful one. 150W at low speeds is barely enough for a powerful low beam lamp and the turn signals are almost invisible, you have to rev up the gas to blink brighter. Let's put 750W and everything will be completely ZEN))))
Start of production
The prototype of the M-72 was the German BMW R71 motorcycle, the most common model in the Wehrmacht structures. Five such motorcycles were secretly purchased in Sweden, transported to Moscow, disassembled and examined. In March 1941, production of the Russian version began at the Moscow Motorcycle Plant. The Soviet motorcycle turned out no worse than its German counterpart, although the machines rolled off the assembly line irregularly. The main components and assemblies of the motorcycle were produced at different factories: the engine was made at the Stalin Automobile Plant, the gearbox at AZLK (Lenin Komsomol Plant), the sidecar and driveshaft were produced at GAZ in the city of Gorky. Thus, at first, the planned production of the M-72 motorcycle was difficult due to inconsistency among suppliers.
Ural M 72 technical specifications
Total information
Motorcycle type: with sidecar. Wheelbase, mm — 1430. Ground clearance, mm — 130. Track, mm — 1100
Dimensions, mm: — length — 2420; — width — 1650.
Height (by ignition key) - 1000
Motorcycle weight, kg: — dry — 335; - worker - 380.
Fuel consumption on the highway, l/100 km - 7. Fuel reserve on the highway, km - 310. Highest speed, km/h - 85.
Capacity (oil), l: - engine crankcase - 2.0; — gearbox housing — 0.8; — reverse gear housing — 0.150; — air purifier — 0.2.
Fuel tank capacity, l - 22.
Engine
Engine type: four-stroke two-cylinder. Brand - M-72M. Cylinder diameter, mm - 78. Piston stroke, mm - 78. Displacement, cm? — 746. Compression ratio — 5.5 ± 0.2. Maximum power, l. With. — 22. Maximum torque, kg m — 4.0. The block head material is aluminum alloy. The head gasket is asbestos metal 0.6 mm. The piston material is aluminum alloy.
Valve distribution phases (according to the angle of rotation of the crank), degrees: - beginning of intake to c. m.t. - 76; - end of intake after n. m.t. - 92; - beginning of release BC m.t. - 116; - end of release after c. m.t. - 52.
Carburetor - Two K-37.
Power transmission M-72 M
The final drive ratio is 4.62. The clutch is a dry double-disc clutch in the engine flywheel.
Number of disks: — leading — 3; — slaves — 2.
Number of springs - 6.
Technical characteristics of the M-72 M gearbox
Type - four-stage two-way.
Gear ratios: — in first gear — 3.6; — in second gear — 2.286; — in third gear — 1.7; — in fourth gear — 1.3.
Total gear ratio: - in first gear - 16.65; — in second gear — 10.56; — in third gear — 7.85; — in fourth gear — 6.01.
M-72 M motorcycle tires and their characteristics
Size, in inches - 3.75-19.
Pressure, kg/cm?: - front wheel - 1.6; — rear wheel — 2.0; - stroller wheels - 1.8; — spare wheel — 2.0.
Ignition and Electrical Equipment M-72 M and their characteristics
Type - battery magneto. Ignition coil brand - B - 2B or B-11. The battery is 3MT-14. Generator - G - 11A. Relay regulator - PP-31. Signal - C - 23B. Headlight FG - 6.
Post-war time
During the war, the M-72 motorcycle was produced at factories located in the Siberian evacuation zone. It was then that the name “Ural” was added to the index. When the war ended, there was an export boom in the USSR; the government tried to get as much money as possible by selling goods abroad. The M-72, a Soviet motorcycle, was exported in large quantities to foreign countries in the 50s. M-72 "Ural" was readily purchased in Europe. Simple design and reliability were the main arguments in favor of the model.
Since 1955, the Ural M-72 motorcycle began to be sold to the population within the country. The civilian version featured improved engine performance, a powerful frame, and torsion-bar transmission of engine rotation to the sidecar wheel. The gas tank was decorated with the inscription “Irbit”. Nominally, three-wheeled vehicles were considered to belong to their owners, but only in times of peace. In case of war, each Ural M-72 motorcycle could be requisitioned and sent to the front.
Electrical equipment of the motorcycle Ural M 72
The electrical equipment of the Ural M 72 motorcycle consists of the following devices and units: a G-11A generator; battery Z-MT-7 or Z-MT-14; relay-regulator RR-31; ignition coils IG-4085-B; breaker-distributor PM-05; spark plugs NA11/11AU; FG-6 headlights, lighting lamps, signal, switches and warning lamp.
The spark plug NA11/11AU is a collapsible type, consisting of: uralite insulator 1; central electrode 4; steel body 2; side electrode 5; insulator nuts 3; two copper gaskets 6; one copper-asbestos gasket 7. The central electrode is covered on top with a carbolite tip 5. The spark gap between the central and side electrodes should be 0.7 mm.
The FG-6 headlight consists of a housing 1, a rim 2 with a lens, a reflector 3 with a double-filament lamp 4 and a parking light lamp 5. The headlight housing contains a central switch 6, a high and low beam switch 7, a speedometer 8, a warning lamp 9 and a fuse 10 The various positions of the central switch are switched on using key 11. There are wire holders on the sides of the headlight housing.
Electrical diagram of the M 72 motorcycle.
1 – double-filament lamp; 2 – ignition key; 3 – fuse; 4 – headlight; 5 – central switch; 6 – reflector wire to ground; 7 – high voltage wire; 8 – candle; 9 – high voltage wire; 10 – ignition coil; 11 – side lamp; 12 – signal; 13 – wire for the rear light of the stroller; 14 – lamps for the rear light of the stroller; 15 – motorcycle taillight lamps; 16 – brake light sensor; 17 – relay regulator; 18 – generator; 19 – battery; 20 – low voltage wires; 21 – battery ground wire; 22 – breaker; 23 – distributor; 24 – high voltage wire; 25 – connecting wires of the breaker with the ignition coil; 26 – signal button; 27 – signal wire; 28 – ignition timing lever; 29 – light switch cable; 30 – light switch; 31 – control lamp; 32 – parking light lamp; 33 – speedometer lighting lamp; 34 – motorcycle-sidecar wire connector; 35 – wire for the rear light of the stroller; 36 – wire for the rear light of the stroller; 37 – Sh, Z and B – relay-regulator terminals.
The design of the remaining electrical devices and units of the Ural M 72 motorcycle is given in the description of the electrical equipment of the K 750 motorcycle.
The required driving tool is shown below.
Specifications
The M-72 design fit well into the assembly line process, and this made it possible to produce a significant number of vehicles in a relatively short period of time. The production of motorcycles was hampered by the desire of designers to improve the technical parameters of individual mechanisms. The German BMW R21 motorcycle contained a number of technical innovations that were not included in the technological process used to assemble the Soviet version. Therefore, the engineers wanted to make up for lost time and introduce into production all the useful achievements of German specialists.
Next in line were design developments: a duplex frame, double gear shifting - foot and lever (at the choice of the motorcyclist), spring shock absorbers for the rear suspension, and a telescopic front fork. Instead of a chain drive, typical of Soviet motorcycles, a cardan was installed. Separate feeding of the cylinders was practiced; in this case, two carburetors were installed on the motorcycle.
Engine design
The opposed cylinder arrangement ensured good engine balance in combination with a low center of gravity, which was located at a height of 592 mm. Auxiliary working units - a generator, an oil pump, a distributor - rotated using gear drives. The cast iron cylinders were coated with a special black varnish with heat-resistant characteristics. The crankshaft main journals operated on needle bearings. The connecting rods were separated and each sat on its own crankshaft journal. This assumed a horizontal axial displacement of the cylinders of 39.2 mm relative to each other. The double-bearing crankshaft made it possible to reduce the length of the engine crankcase by thinning (up to 18 mm) the cheeks between the main and connecting rod journals.
Ural-2 M-63
Ural-2 M-63 is a Soviet heavy motorcycle with a sidecar. Produced by Irbitsky Motorcycle) from 1963 to 1971.
Content
History and design
The immediate impetus for the design of the M-63 was the decision of a special commission to unify the motorcycles of the Irbit and Kyiv motorcycle plants. The design differences of these machines, sometimes small, made the interchangeability of individual components and parts impossible. Carrying out this decision, the IMZ design team designed the M-63 motorcycle. Its main components and assemblies are interchangeable with the components and assemblies of the K-650 motorcycle, the production of which was to be mastered in Kyiv. The M-63 motorcycle, unlike its predecessors, is equipped with a frame with a pendulum suspension of the rear wheel[2]. The new exhaust system has significantly reduced exhaust noise; the mufflers are raised above the ground (when the motorcycle is fully loaded, the clearance is 150 mm).
Engine
The M-63 engine is in many ways similar to the M-61 and M-62, but has fundamental design features.
The crank is installed in the crankcase not from the rear, like the M-62 engine, but from the front, so the front bearing housing (it is made of aluminum alloy with a steel ring cast into it) has a mounting diameter of 142 mm, and the rear bearing housing is only 78 mm. The width of the oil traps has been increased to 9 mm, which improves oil purification.
The gear oil pump is located under the front engine cover, and its housing is integral with the front bearing housing. The oil pump is driven by a timing gear mounted on the front end of the crank.
The design of the engine crankcase is highly technological and simple; its weight is much less than that of the M-62 (even the weight of the experimental crankcase, made by casting into the ground, turned out to be 700 grams less compared to the old production one).
When designing the gas distribution mechanism, special attention was paid to increasing the rigidity of the valve drive and reducing contact stresses on the cams. This was achieved by increasing the diameter of the camshaft journals, replacing the sliding bearing with a rolling bearing, increasing the cross-section of the tubular steel rod and placing the pusher and rod in line (in the M-61 and M-62 engines the rod is inclined relative to the pusher at an angle of 8-9 degrees). These design measures, combined with a special cam profile, reduce the noise level of the valve train. A new profile of the gas distribution cam, an increase in the radius of its back and the width of the cams, and the use of cast iron tappets rotating around their axis made it possible to significantly reduce the wear of both the tappets themselves and the camshaft[3].
The breather, which has the shape of a disk and is pressed against the front cover by a spring during operation, provides a large vacuum in the engine crankcase in all operating modes. The wear of the working end of the breather and the front cover to which it is pressed is compensated by the corresponding movement of the breather under the action of the spring.
The first industrial batch of Ural-2 motorcycles, model M-63, was produced by the Irbit Motor Plant in 1964[4]. At first, the M-63 was powered by engines from the M-62 Ural motorcycle, but with some changes[4]. The modernized M-62 engine had strengthened exhaust valves, crank pins, connecting rods, and pistons.
Transmission
The gearbox of the Ural-2 motorcycle is finely splined, similar to the M-62 Ural, but the weak point of the previous gearbox has been eliminated - the axle and bushing of the foot shift pedal quickly wore out. The new closed-type gear shift mechanism operates in an oil bath and is protected from dust and dirt. This improved both the appearance and simplified the design of the gearbox, which was also installed on the K-750 motorcycle.
Cardan
Propeller drive: The driveshaft is still used to drive the rear wheel. Moreover, the shaft on the M-63 is moved away from the wheel by 5 mm, since it was planned that motorcycles from the Irbit plant would be produced on wider tires (4″ X 17″)[5]. A more reliable double-lip collar seal is installed in the main gear.
Chassis
The chassis has undergone a radical reconstruction. For the first time on production IMZ motorcycles, a pendulum suspension with spring-hydraulic shock absorbers was introduced to suspend the rear wheel (later a similar suspension was introduced on the sidecar wheel), which significantly increased the comfort of the motorcycle and its durability. The hydraulic part of the rear shock absorbers is almost completely borrowed from the shock absorbers of the Moskvich car. The pendulum fork of the rear wheel is installed in the frame on rubber silent blocks. The front wheel suspension remained the same design, but became the same for motorcycles from the Irbit and Kyiv motorcycle factories. The new mud flaps have a wider profile, are installed above the wheel with large gaps, and have special rubber mud flaps in the lower part. The gas tank has also changed and has become easier to manufacture.
Characteristics:
Overall dimensions, mm
Motorcycle base (distance between wheel axles), mm 1100
Ground clearance at full load and normal tire pressure, mm 150
Maximum speed, km/h 95
Maximum load, kg 255
Average operating fuel consumption per 100 km when driving in various road conditions with variable load, l 6
Type Four-stroke, carburetor, two-cylinder, opposed cylinder, air-cooled
Working volume, cm3 650
Cylinder diameter, mm 78
Piston stroke, mm 78
Compression ratio 7
Maximum power, hp 32
Maximum power, kW 23.5
Crankshaft rotation speed at maximum power, rpm. 5000-5200
Maximum torque. Nm 47
Carburetor K-301 G
Air cleaner Combined inertial contact-oil filter with two-stage cleaning
Clutch Dry double-disc, driven discs with linings on both sides
Cardan drive Cardan shaft with elastic coupling and joint on needle bearings
Final drive Pair of bevel wheels with spiral teeth, gear ratio – 4.62
Gearbox Four-speed, with gear ratios in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th gears 3.6; 2.28; 1.7; 1.3, respectively
Ignition system Battery
Battery 3MT-12
Ignition coil B201
Frame Tubular double closed type
Front wheel suspension Telescopic fork with double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers
Rear wheel suspension Lever on double-acting spring-hydraulic shock absorbers, adjustable in height
Front wheel travel, mm 140
Rear wheel travel, mm 90
Tire size, inch 3.75-19
Brakes: Shoe brakes, with friction linings on the front and rear wheels
Improvements
Starting in 1956, the Irbit Motor Plant switched to the M-72M model, which differed from the previous one in some improvements. The brake drums were reinforced with special stamped discs that improve the fastening of the spokes, and were distinguished by the optimal location of the rear wing for more effective cleaning of sticky dirt. The front fender was raised and secured to the fixed part of the front fork. The stroller has changed its configuration.
Sports modification
The production of the M-72M did not last long; IMZ soon switched to production of the M-61 model. In addition to standard motorcycles, the Irbit plant developed a sports modification, the M-72K, with a lightweight design and a 30-horsepower engine. pp., equipped with a device for changing valve timing.
The M-72K, intended for cross-country competitions, was equipped with a special air duct that took air masses from the top panel of the gas tank. The motorcycle wheels were “shod” with tires with a deep tread pattern. The headlight has been eliminated and overall weight has been reduced with a lightweight side trailer.
Motorcycle M-72, spare parts
In the Soviet Union, thanks to the planned economy, the production of spare parts was raised to the highest possible level. It was believed that a technical device should be guaranteed to be provided with repair accessories. Therefore, inventories were created that collected dust in warehouses for years. Like all motorcycles of the Soviet period, the M-72 was provided with spare parts for decades to come. There is currently no shortage of WWII heavy duty motorcycle repair kits available.
Motorcycle M-72, price
Currently, there are a lot of offers on the used vehicle market. The M-72 Ural is no exception. There are even rare examples - retro motorcycles from 1957. The cost directly depends on their status - if it is just a rusty three-wheeled car, it can cost 10 thousand rubles. But if the motorcycle has undergone technical resuscitation, been restored using appropriate technologies, and has an impeccable presentation, then this amount can rise to 399 thousand rubles, since it is no longer a motorcycle, but an exclusive retro.
M-72 - “Victory” for rural roads. Technical details
In the early 1950s, domestic automobile factories did not have the opportunity to develop and manufacture comfortable bodies for off-road passenger cars.
Therefore, a compromise solution was the use of reinforced bodies of conventional road cars and all-wheel drive transmissions. One of these cars was Gorky’s M-72, production of which began 64 years ago.
Now, decades later, we hear from “experts” that the M-72 is a “Victory” with units from the GAZ-69. This is wrong. We believe that readers of ABS-auto should know the truth about the creation of this domestic car.
In fact, only the outer body panels (wings, hood, doors and other parts) were taken from the Pobeda car. Here we note that, apart from the M‑72 index, the plant did not give any official name to the car. And therefore the word “Victory” in the title is a kind of allegory.
To accommodate the transfer case, it was necessary to abandon the transverse box-shaped reinforcement of the underbody, as well as the longitudinal reinforcement of the closed tunnel of the cardan transmission, which were characteristic of the Pobeda body.
To compensate for these missing power elements, as well as to increase the longitudinal and lateral rigidity of the body as a whole, 14 additional reinforcements for the floor, side members, door pillars and roof were introduced into its design. Unlike the M‑20, the M‑72 had a completely new sub-engine frame designed to mount the spring suspension of the front drive axle (the Pobeda had an independent spring wheel suspension).
Drawing from the book “All-Terrain Vehicles,” ed. IN AND. Borisov, Gorky Book Publishing House, 1959
The engine of the new car, unlike the Pobeda engine, received a cylinder head with a higher compression ratio (6.5 versus 6.2) and an oil cooler.
The car was equipped with the same gearbox with a lever on the steering column as most Pobeda cars. Let us recall that GAZ M‑20 cars produced before 1950, as well as all GAZ‑69, had a gearbox control lever on the floor of the cab. The M-72 gearboxes only lacked a speedometer drive gearbox, which was located on the secondary shaft of the transfer case.
From GAZ-69 the new car received only a transfer case. Since this unit did not have direct transmission, the maximum speed of the M‑72 was lower than that of the Pobeda.
Separately, it is necessary to say about the design of the rear axle of the car. It was developed specifically for the M‑72 and was installed only on the specified machine. The rear axle had semi-balanced axle shafts, which were supported by single-row ball bearings. There were no removable hubs, and the wheels were attached directly to the axle flanges. The same was done later on all Volgas, but the latest cars have hypoid main gears. The M-72 had direct final drives, like the Pobeda and GAZ-69.
Let us recall (for comparison) that the Pobeda axle shafts were 3/4 unloaded, and the removable wheel hubs rotated on single-row cylindrical roller bearings.
And on the rear axles of the GAZ‑69, axle shafts of a fully unloaded type and removable hubs are mounted on double tapered roller bearings.
The front drive axle of the M‑72 is similar in design to the axle from the GAZ‑69, but the track was already 85 mm.
To increase ground clearance under the body, the front and rear springs were installed on the axle beams, while the Pobeda had rear springs mounted under the beam.
The design of the front springs was developed specifically for this car, although the rear springs were used from Pobeda.
The rear suspension of the M-72 used an anti-roll bar. The Pobeda has a similar device installed in the front independent suspension, while the GAZ-69 had no stabilizers at all.
Just like the GAZ-69, the M-72 car had a central transmission parking brake, and the GAZ M-20 Pobeda had a parking drive on the rear wheel brakes.
The body equipment of the new all-wheel drive car was the same as that of the M‑20: soft upholstery, heater, clock, dual-band (long and medium waves) radio. But taking into account the need to work on dirty roads, a windshield washer was used for the first time on the M-72.
M‑72 became the world's first all-wheel drive passenger car with a frameless (supporting) body and was produced in 1955–1957 in the amount of 4,677 copies.
The leading designers of the car were Grigory Moiseevich Wasserman, and among his assistants were A. I. Gor, S. G. Zislin, N. T. Mozokhin, V. S. Solovyov, O. I. Pelyushenko, A. I. Chernomashentsev and others.
- Andrey Kuznetsov
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