Bone headed Winch move

[Recovry4x4]

What is the urgency to unwind that winch. What's done is done, nothing is to gain by chopping or beating parts off of it to free it up. Just install the new shear pin and back it off. Folks, this can't be any simpler. I see a few folks posting with experience showing through and a whole lot of drivel from others. Good Grief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP, please take the majority of these suggestions with a grain of salt and use just a little common sense with this one. No need to start hatcheting parts off the truck. I will overnight you a shear pin if it will keep you from following some of these suggestions.

 

[91W350]

If you need replacement shackles, send me an address and I will mail them to you for free. All I ask is a small donation of some sort to the SS Benevolence fund. The lessons learned from your mistake are more than enough payment for me. Glen

 

[ODdave]

Hey Glen, Got any free winches? lol

 

[91W350]

The only two deuce winches I have are on mine. The only five ton winch I have is spoken for. Fresh out I guess. Sorry Dave...

 

[ODdave]

I was just kidding anyway, I have a few extras after the first one "fell apart"

 

[Rellim4560]

New pins arrived while I was home eating lunch. I slammed one and put her in reverse and she worked perfect. Appears to be no damage other than a deformed shackle. However I did not have time to pull the cable out to check it over and rewrapped the drum all pretty.

Thanks again for the ideas and help.

 

[135gmc]

The shear pin is usually just a piece of aluminum rod. You can cut the pin and reinstall the pieces (see ablve), but if you decide to use a bolt to back it off, be darn sure which direction you want it to move, or you could wind it up even tighter. If you stick a bolt in, back the winch off by hand instead of trying to use the engine -

 

[Recovry4x4]

New pins arrived while I was home eating lunch. I slammed one and put her in reverse and she worked perfect. Appears to be no damage other than a deformed shackle. However I did not have time to pull the cable out to check it over and rewrapped the drum all pretty.

Thanks again for the ideas and help.

Just as I expected. Good news Sir

 

[TsgtB]

How much force should be needed to turn a winch by hand, with wrench?

 

[m16ty]

You probably can't even turn a unloaded winch by hand through the input shaft. If you've got a really strong grip, you may be able to wind it in by hand. There's now way you could unwind it due to the brake.

You should be able to turn it with a wrench fairly easy. Again, it will be a lot harder unwinding it.

 

[TsgtB]

Good, I don't think anything is in a bind, the drum turns easy, everything engages smooth, the drum lock could go in a little deeper.
I know I just let the clutch out too fast in low range with winch in rev, to feed out (while several feet where laid out already).
The shear pin was already in a pretty worn condition.
Thanks