Yeah, I shoulda seen this one coming as this winch does (did?) get really used pulling this and that out of whatever it shouldn't have gone back into for the infamous 'one more pass, just to smooth it out...' AND I've read here about the danger of using a bolt for a shearpin.
Armada and Doghead, I'm going to hang onto the cable as I have another Duece w/winch and the big gear is history, sorry.
Rizzo, as hard as it is to admit, I have several snatch blocks that tend to live in the shop, close to the lowboy, duh, they're never there when you need them like that... And I didn't have my camera either so no pics, maybe next time!
Mudlord, AMEN BROTHER, the radiator survived unscathed.
Speaking of winch accidents, I've seen some wild stuff when hydraulic dozer winch cables break, DUCK! And I've seen a D-4 drug backward (quite briskly!) by a falling fire tower it's winch cable was hooked to about 2/3 the way up. (No morons were injured in the making of that disaster.) But this is the first winch itself I've seen go like this. I think I'm going to fab up a 5 ton winch on the truck, hydraulics, etc. but this is the wrong forum for all that.
Thanks for your input all!