Mercedes-Benz L 4500

L 4500
Mercedes-Benz L 4500 S
Overview
Type Truck
Manufacturer Daimler-Benz AG
Production 1939 – 1945
Assembly Germany: Gaggenau
Austria: Simmering
Body and chassis
Class 4,5 t truck
Body style long bonnet truck
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel-drive
Front engine, all-wheel-drive
Platform L 4500
Powertrain
Engine Mercedes-Benz OM 67/4, (Diesel, 7274 cm3, 82 kW)
Transmission Manual five-speed
Propulsion Tyres
Dimensions
Wheelbase 4600 mm
Length 7860 mm
Width 2350 mm
Height 3345 mm
Kerb weight 5717 kg

The Mercedes-Benz L 4500 is a heavy duty truck by Mercedes-Benz. It was built by Daimler-Benz from 1939 – 1944 in the Mercedes-Benz plant Gaggenau[1] and from 1944 – 1945 by Saurer. The vehicle is a long-bonnet truck and was offered as a rear-wheel-drive truck (L 4500 S) and an all-wheel-drive truck (L 4500 A). The German Wehrmacht used the L 4500 with armoured cabins as Flaks during World War II. Due to the lack of production material, the cabin was replaced with the simplified standardised Wehrmacht cabin and the mudwings with simplified wings in 1943.[2] Also, the L 4500 chassis was used for the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 4.

Description

Wehrmacht L 4500 S

The L 4500 is a truck with a long bonnet, U-shape ladder frame and both front and rear rigid axle. Each axle has leaf springs. The front axle has single wheels while the rear axle has double wheels. The tyres have the size 10.5—20. A pneumo-hydraulic brake-system is used, each wheel has a drum brake, the parking brake locks the rear wheels only. For steering a ZF Type 721 is used. From the engine, the torque is transmitted to a manual five-speed gearbox with a single disk dry clutch. The gearbox also has a reduction gear. Only the rear wheels are driven. Unlike the L 4500S, the L 4500 A has an offroad gear which automatically switches on the front-wheel-drive as well. The Mercedes-Benz OM 67/4 Diesel engine is used. It is a six-cylinder inline four-stroke precombustion-chamber-injected and water-cooled diesel engine with OHV-Valvetrain.

Bibliography

  • Frank, Reinhard: Mercedes im Kriege – Personenwagen, Lastkraftwagen, Sonderaufbauten. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Dorheim. 1985. ISBN 3-7909-0244-6
  • Ware, Pat: The Illustrated Guide to Military Vehicles: A complete reference guide to over 100 years of military vehicles. Anness Publishing – Hermes House. London. 2010. S. 143. ISBN 978-1-84681-585-0

References

  1. ↑ Veteranenhalle: Mercedes L 4500
  2. ↑ Fahrzeuge der Wehrmacht: Mercedes-Benz L 4500
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