bad shaking under hard acceleration.

[lagbolt]

So I just took it for an alignment and all was well but after the alignment it shakes really bad under hard acceleration in first and second gear. Everything else seems fine when driving normally. No shakes at any speed just when I step on it and after the alignment. Any of you guys have a clue?

[TominMO]

Possibilities, in order of probability from highest to lowest:
1. crappy alignment job--take it back. This is why I do my own (plus saving $$).
2. worn tie rods or tie rod ends
3. tire issues
4. broken engine/tranny mounts

[lagbolt]

I just replaced the tie rods and ball joints. I took it back and the owner said its not his fault and its some other problem.

[1990new]

Did the shop where you had the alignment done do a road test after the alignment? They should have.
Make sure all 4 strut to steering knuckle bolts are tight.
Since you replaced the tie rod ends (outer only I assume) and ball joints (LCA's), I assume you were having problems
before you replaced those components. What about your sway bar bushings? Replacing some worn components can
sometimes cause problems to show up with other worn components that were not obvious before. Is it pulling one way or the other during acceleration or just shaking?

You can do several test on your own to try to pinpoint the problem.

Can you confirm that the shaking completely disappears when you coast in neutral at speed?
Test it this way:
Get on the highway and accelerate to the maximum speed limit, depress the clutch and shift to neutral and let engine idle.
Does the shaking completely stop when you are coasting?

If it still vibrates, the problem is related to the transaxle, wheels or tires and not related to the engine.

If you have a Festiva shop manual, see section 18 which will help you diagnose problems with noise, vibration and harshness.

[FestYboy]

Shake the inner CV joints, you may find that one of the tri-pot bearings has failed.

[WmWatt]

You could check the alignment yourself with a piece of string and see if there's a problem. A search of this site will reveal instructions. Sounds like it's only shaking under heavy load. You could try putting the front end up on jack stands and going through the gears at high acceleration to check that theory, ie see if the wheels shimmy with no load. And make sure the lug bolts are tight.