This is my first post and I try and do a lot of car work on my own but I'm no mechanic, so go easy on me.
My brother and I replaced the front right lower control arm assembly on my 2001 Dodge Neon last night. During the replacement we struggled to reinstall the new control arm, particularly getting the hub/rotor and the control arm ball bearing stub lined up and re-installed. We were really moving the hub/rotor around a lot inside the wheel housing, trying to re-position the hub/rotor up above the bearing and fighting the strut spring. We finally did get everything positioned and reinstalled. However, now while I'm driving down the highway at a constant speed there is a momentary skip/slip at a regular interval...it almost feels like hitting a little bump. Also, while slowing down (foot off the gas, letting the car coast), the engine will Rev and the car seems to momentarily accelerate at a regular interval and at idle I hear the engine click and it seems some vibrations pick up, then cycle back to normal, then click and cycle back to normal. Anyway, I think all three issues are related, but I'm not sure or if it would some how be related to the control arm replacement. I was wondering if anybody could offer any help.

Thanks guys,

DgdNeon01

 

I wish I could relate the repairs you made to your car to what your describing, but I'm having a hard time doing so. Maybe you pulled the CV shaft out but I doubt it, it would probably make more of a grinding noise.

 

Yeah I'm struggling to. I know we had the CV shaft way out (not outside the boot though) but I would expect if it were still out it would be much more noticeable (ie grinding, or undrivable). Thanks for the help. As far as what we did we replaced the entire lower control arm assembly, but we the torsion bar in place and had to fight to push the hub/rotor up against the strut and spring to get the ball bearing lined up. Basically we were using a jack to hack the rotor up and then trying to
Push it around in place. Does that help? I'm thinking the two are not related. I think something attached to the engine is cycling on and off (drawing power) but we didn't have the AC running and i don't know hat else it is.

 

Do you have your defrost on?

 

Yes that's it. I don't think it has anything to do the control arm replacement. When the defrost is on the engine will pulse while coasting to a stop or while holding a constant speed. What would cause that?

 

when I replaced my spindle the wheel bearing was going bad, any chance you didn't soak the bearing with penetrating oil? That will toast a big bearing pretty quick.

Mine does the same engine surge as well, but assuming I've got a vaccum leak that I've missed...

but my re-assembly was not near as tuff as you described, it just slid together with ease.

I wonder if your a/c compressor bolts have come loose some? might check those?

 

If your defrost is on the compressor will turn on and usually the cooling fans. That's a lot of load on that little engine.