You might want to check you CV boots. These are also known as the Drive Axel Boots. Check your inner and outer. I'm just worried that you may have hit it and damaged it when you hit that pothole. It could have been going bad before and when you hit the pothole it made it worse. A good way to check it is to do a circle in both directions. if u hear a popping noise then u know they are bad. also, if you have it in 2nd gear, at 2k rpm, then give it full throttle, you should feel the car go from side to side. What makes me think that it is this is because u said that it seems to be working harder than usual, if one of these were bad, it would have to work harder to get the same power to the wheels. As far as the steering wheel shaking, i would make sure your steering rack is still snug and doesn't move. Also i do not know if you did this or not, but make sure you tires are balanced and not out of round. just because they do not have a bubble doesnt men that the inside belts are not broke. If they are messed up, you would feel all those symptoms, like vibrations, no power.
