suspension/ steering

New to forum. Have a '33 ford with mustang II front and leaf rear. Have a couple questions, any help would greatly appreciated.

1.) The leafs seem to ride a little too rough. Is there any thing I can do to cushion the ride a little besides air bags. Maybe new shocks?

2.) The steering is a little screwy. Starts to shake at when accelerating. The coulmn and everything, a little scary to drive. Could be alignment? Don't have too many shops around here that I could trust. Is an aligment a hard job to complete?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Each could be the result of a number of factors. As to your ride, check out the condition of your springs. If ok, check your shocks and replace if they are old. Shocks are not expensive. If you decide to go for replacement springs, Posies super slides are very nice.

As to the steering and suspension check every thing for tightness. Check your bushings for rot or deterioration. Replace anything worn to much. Check your wheel balance, an out of balance wheel can be a head ache. Most wheel alignment places can do alignments on hot rods, but you could try to find one that does a lot and go to them. Good place to learn where these places are would be a car show. Ask some of the owners who does their work.

You can also purchase kits to do your own alignments. Not real expensive (I've seen them for about $100) and they work pretty well if you know what you are doing. Some members here have done their own alignments and probably can recommend a set up and how to do it. I take mine to a shop that specializes in old cars.

If the steering is old, again parts could be worn past the wear tolerances and need replacement. I have never attempted to rebuild a steering column and I have heard that it can be a pain, but it can be done. You could check out the cost of replacing the column with a bone yard unit or a rebuilt one or get a new one from Ididit or Flaming River. All new units from these companies start at about $300 for an plain steel unit. Cost goes up with the addition of features.

I am sure that there will be others here who can give you even better advice and solutions than I have. Good luck.