Transmission Differential

I have a Saab 900 year 92'
Its 2WD, Front Wheel Drive, and Manual (5 Speed + Reverse)

The other day it bottomed out on the front end. while going through a neighborhood crossing a street in the gutter

As soon as it hit it started jumping and jolting, so i decided just get home and so i got there and in the neighborhood it decided to completely lock the front wheels, but the brakes were released, something else was stopping the tires from turning..

Yesterday i lifted the front end and spun a tire and both tires spun, so im guessing they should be the same speed and always spinning together, so started the car and put it in first, the passenger tire was spinning at a good speed, driver side tired was having trouble spinning, it would spin but had trouble as i it were fighting something because it would go, stop, go, stop, go, stop, a few inches each time but never a full rotation

Also when i put it into reverse it clunked and shook the entire car and i had to slam it into reverse


Good news? Bad news? Easy Fix? Time to go Car Shopping?

The front axle has what is called an open differential. It is what allows the inside tire to turn at a slower speed than the outside tire in a turn. What you saw in first gear was normal. If you could (which you should never ever do) grab the spinning wheel, you would see that the other wheel would start spinning. Its normal. But please, don't do it. You'll lose an arm. Seriously.

Was the car bucking and jerking with the clutch in or out? If it was bucking with the clutch out I might simply suspect that the motor was cutting in and out. Did the tranny hit the ground? Can you see leaks or damage? The chances of the transmission hitting the ground are slim to none. What always hits when you hit a gutter like that is the front bumper/crossmember. But for the transmission to hit the ground you have to have something sticking up higher than the ground. Even with the suspension completely bottomed out, you should still have a few inches of clearance.

the only damage i saw was that it looked to be a skid plate on bottom that was dented upwards.

The car starts jerking at low speeds when im not holding the clutch or just slightly holding the clutch.

The Gutter i was hit was steep and surprising, like the street was going at a downward slant and the street i was about to cross was higher so it was kinda thiss shape.

\_