help i have an old 1965 ford 4500 backhoe centre mount recently i burst the small hose that goes between the two slew rams .the bucket went to the side at a rate of speed which has caused one of the rams to become very loose as if something has broken has anybody had any experience with this problem and knows what holds these rams in position. i have a workshop manual but it does not show how the backhoe slew rams are held in position Lindsay
they really aren't held in by anything but the opposing force of the other cylinder connected by the chain. Once you get slack on one cylinder, they will now both be loose. The hose you blew is simply a vent line. If you have fluid in it then that is a sign of internal leaks in the swing cylinders (slew rams) To remove them you need to remove the hoe from the tractor. Once that is done you just need to disconnect the chain and hoses. They will slide right out at that point.
There should be a pin holding them in place. It sounds like it might of snapped or got bent.