George,
You can't drive the car with one half shaft removed. The clutch packs in the ZF won't "engage". That's why the car started rolling when you removed the one half shaft. Nothing in the ZF would have been damaged by winching the car on and off of the flatbed tow truck.
John
PANTERA INTERNATIONAL
A DE TOMASO CAR CLUB
Presents the De Tomaso Forums
The On-Line Meeting Place for De Tomaso Owners and Enthusiasts From Around the World
Clicking on the banner will take you to the sponsor's website.