Ahh! Freaking front end! Help

Okay, so I found out my stock 13 steelies were bent and I figured thats what was giving me a vibration at about 70mph. So I went and bought some new 15" wheels and tires. Guess what...now I have a bit of shaking in the steering wheel at freeway speeds. WTF! So what could it be? Im thinking it has to be either my tie rod's or my rack and pinion is going bad. Anyone else have a problem like this? I have a 96 dx hatch thats been lowered with neuspeed sport springs and I have a rear swaybar only. Any help? How can I tell if my rack and pinion is bad?

Thanks

Did you get a new allignment after the new tires?

Yeah its been aligned.

What are the specs of the alignment? Also who balanced the 1st set of wheels and now the 2nd set?

Never mind I think I figured it out. My rack and pinion has an awful lot of slop in it.

Well usually simple wheel balancing solves the issue. But if it isn't, see if the second shake is different than the first shake. I know you can't sense the difference anymore, but pay attention and see if it feels different. It might simply be the new tires. Some tires are known to produce vibration at certain speeds.

Also check run out of your rotors. If the rims were bent originally, it might have impacted your rotors. Your rotors should be pretty much flat. Not only the braking portion, but also the part that lays flat on the hub/spindle. Also while you have your rims off the car, see if there is any play in wheel bearing. If you grab your rotor and try to shake, an if it shakes, then you need a new bearing. Sometime you can't sense the shake, but the bearing can be still bad.

I once heard that even 1/100th of an in of play in drivetrain can result in vibrations of some sorts. Well I am not sure whether I suggested more questions than answers, but changing drive shaft or getting into anything behind the hub should be your last consideration. Good luck.