Truck shakes in the front end

I have a 95 GMC pickup 2 wheel drive, i was driving thru a field and hit a ditch very hard. Ever since then if i go over 10 miles an hour the truck begins to shake violently. The mechanic at the tire shop said i needed a front end alignment and new tires. I got the front end alignment but kept the tires (it wasnt shaking before i hit the ditch, why get new tires?). I got the front end alignment and no change still shakes. Are the tires my problem or is it something more serious? Try rotating the tires to the rear and see if the problem moves there. If the problem remains in the front, then there are suspension issues the wheel alignment guy missed. I will definitely do that, is it possible i could have bent the axle? If it is shaking really badly after you hit 10 MPH, you probably have something bent such as a rim. A wheel balancing machine would easily verify a bent rim. If you have a bent axle shaft, the vibration would be in the rear. Doing an axle shaft run-out with a dial caliper would tell you if the shaft was bent if it wasn't visually bent. It takes a whole lot of force to bend an axle shaft. You can also use the dial caliper to do a run-out of the rims to verify a bent rim. this is a really stupid question i'm not a mechanic by any means, when you say a bent rim are you saying one my tires has a bent rim or the rim of the truck? Bent rim (wheel) or possibly broke a belt inside the tire.

No dial caliper? When you move the tires to the rear to verify, you could jack the front up. Set a concrete block, bucket, etc. close to it and use it to hold a stationary object like a screwdriver 1/8"-1/4" from the rim. Spin the wheel and this would help you see a wobble.

Moving the tires to the rear and the shaking moves to the rear will help you verify and narrow the problem down.

Let's say you move the wheels/tires to the rear and the shaking remains in the front, then we can start thinking the axle shaft is bent.

Let's say the rim (wheel) looks good and the shaking moves to the rear, then we know the tire is bad.Car Repair Talk's forum.