1990 cavalier not another spot of rust except for.... is this common

rack & pinon hooks on to the fire wall instead of the unno body
Has anyone else have a cavalier with that is very clean NO rust
except on the fire wall where the steering goes though, hooks on to the rack and pinin????


I have a 90 calalier I bought 3 years ago. very clean I put a lot of extras on it
terimanator 2 tail fin. rear window luvers, trail blazer tail light covers, custom head light covers, window flairs, bra, cavalier Z24 on the front window.

last year the driving changed. the front end was cracking, or crunching. I swore I would turn the same amount and the car wouldn't respond the same and the steering wheel would never be lined up the same. Everyone blamed my driving.

About eight months ago when I was driving home I curb the car and almost didn't make it home. I finally got my husband to take it serious and found that where the cars steering is hooked onto the firewall instead frame was rusted and was only holding on by an inch on the top.

so when I turned it would move instead staying in place and turning. once it turned and it would release then the car would turn sometime a little sometimes alot.

it was also inspected 1 months earlier, and the alinement ajusted because I was complaining about the styeering wheel.

not a spec of rust anywhere else on the car!!!!!

has anyone else found this on their car. is this common for cavaliers???
Noone else that I talked to local ever head of this.

I love this car!!! I was hoping to get another one what years WILL MY STUFF FIT ON???
Thanks
sally

I suggest surf for a Hollander's Interchange book, or go to local good parts store. Hollander's lists the makes, models and specific parts that you can swap around for the year of the make and model.

There is one other "swap" manual, but I just can't remember it's name.

it'll all fit on a 87-94 cav except the light covers, for them you need 87-90. You could have the firewall plated. My dad's 88 Z24 has a steering rack problem an we just thought it was the rack but it may be this! WE weren't even going to bother fixing it though! The car is worth F'all! so it's being driven until it's dead! Just a welded in piece or steel!

You may have some leaves, pine needles, etc. in the cowl area and it rusted from the inside out. Since there is no other rust that's what I suspect happened. Anyway, should be a do-able repair. With the rack removed and out of the way, there should be plenty of clearance to weld another plate in there to mount the rack to.

Thanks checking into fixing it I didn't know about all the pressure put on this spot.

Husband thought the motor would have to come out first never though about doing it from the inside.

thanks again looking forward to getting my car back :)

BUT IS THIS COMMON?

I got a new one (1991 has quite a bit of rust on the doors at the side kit) and I swear it starting to do the same thing. (Not steer right seem to get hung up every once in a while, squeeking, & crunching) but can't see rust around the rack.