Tatra 8×8 truck explained

How does a Tatra 8×8 truck work? Eight wheels, four axles and how many differentials or power dividers? And what about its suspension design, not the usual beam axles and leaf springs?

There’s a video below, but I’m going to share here some supplementary information courtesy of another 8×8 owner who has a newer truck.

This page indicates the front drive can be switched on, and off. There is no 8×8 AWD mode; the vehicle is 8×4 with open rear diffs, and then can go to 8×4 with the power divider between the rearmost axles locked. There is no other power divider required as the front axles aren’t driven in 8×4 mode.

The rear cross-axle lockers are engaged with the next switch. Presumably both axles are locked…although the diagram shows just on, the text says “locks”. Tatra really should be clearer.

Finally, the front cross-axle locks can be engaged too, and again one presumes that’s locks plural, as in both axles. The older 815 in the video did not appear to cross-lock the front two axles.

Here’s confirmation of the above, but the term power divider is not used.

And here are the three switches:

From another, similar truck:

And here is the video!