The muffler strap on a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier is designed to support the muffler and tailpipe. It's made from galvanized steel and wraps around the entire diameter of the muffler. The muffler strap attaches to a rubber mount that helps to absorb road vibration that resonates through the exhaust pipe. As time passes, the muffler strap can corrode and eventually break. When the strap is broken, you may hear rattling and vibrating at low speeds as the muffler and tailpipe assembly bounce off the rear axle.
Allow the vehicle to cool down for at least one hour before starting work. The exhaust pipe can reach extremely high temperatures, causing burns and other injuries.
Raise the rear of the vehicle and support it with jack stands. Remove the lug nuts on the left rear wheel using a 1/2-inch ratchet and a 19 mm socket. Remove the wheel and set it aside.
Slide the broken muffler strap away from the muffler. Carefully pull the rubber mounting bushing off of the spade-shaped tab that’s connected to the vehicle’s frame. Remove the rubber mounting bushing and broken strap assembly from the vehicle as one unit.
Separate the rubber mounting busing from the old muffler strap by holding the strap in one hand and the bushing in the other. If it’s too hard to separate the muffler strap from the bushing, you may need to cut the metal bushing rod off of the muffler strap using a hacksaw and pull it out from the opposite side.
Press the metal bushing rod on the new muffler strap through the rubber bushing until it’s completely seated. Wrap the muffler strap around the muffler and install the new holding bolt into the muffler strap. Tighten the holding bolt and holding bolt nut using two metric box-end wrenches until the strap is snug around the muffler.
Place a floor jack under the muffler and raise it up to the top of the muffler cavity. Reattach the rubber mounting bushing to the spade-shaped tab on the vehicle’s frame. Shake the muffler with your hand to verify that everything is solidly attached.
Reinstall the wheel and tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a criss-cross, alternating pattern. Raise the vehicle using the floor jack, remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle to the ground. Road test the vehicle and verify that the muffler is quiet and not bouncing off of the rear axle.
