I have a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe that needs new upper ball joints, pitmen arm & idler arm due to ware. Our local mechanic wants $550 to do the job but I’m thinking about taking the project on myself. I have a full mechanic shop at my disposal (Military DIY shop on post), but am not sure if I’m getting in over my head. If I do the replacement myself, is there anything else I should be thinking about replacing while I’m under the truck?  Where can I find a good resource for step-by-step instructions on doing the job myself? Is Chilton’s worth getting, or is there a better guide? Last but not least, should I be taking on this job myself, or is it worth paying the $550 to have the professionals do it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

$550.00 is a great price for all of the work that is involved. By the time you get the right books, parts and the time involved you could be in it for for over $550.00. I would have someone else do the work. you are looking at $250 $300 in parts alone. 

I just did my drag link, and center link on my '77 K5. Not a big deal, and I already had all the tools. Parts ran about $300.00 in my case. Best tool you can get are pickle forks for ball-joints, & tie rods - saves a lot of hammering with a few precise blows on the pickle forks. The only way to get the experience is by doing the job yourself, or with someone you trust. Most Military DIY shops have a local 'expert' or helper on site. The ones I frequented overseas always had one. You can always ask for some input or help from them. They won't do the job for you, but will steer you in the right direction. They are also there to make sure the loaner tools don't take a walk.  Depending on the shop, they may have all the loaner tools you need for this job. This will save you precious money on tools, especially on military pay!

There are also different levels of replacement part quality depending on your truck type. I went with Moog (Federal Mogul) HD parts. I could have saved $$ and gone with cheap factory replacements, or gone with the high-end Spicer parts. I can't afford to go whole hog at this point.

I'm not familiar with the '99 Tahoe, but if it's IFS, then it's more involved than my 4X4 straight axle work. I never heard of 'Pitman arm wear' though, but I admit I don't know everything. You may need a pitman arm puller tool if you do need to replace it. This is not a very expensive tool, and is available at most auto-part stores, if the shop doesn't have a loaner. Some auto parts stores have loaner tools too.

Chilton guides will give you the basic info to do simple jobs like this, but a factory service manual, or other high-end tech publication would be better, and more detailed. Maybe someone else here can provide a better reference book for this model truck. They are well worth the money, just in the confusion, frustration, and headaches you will avoid.

Hope this helps you some. Good luck with your repair work!

Much thanks redbeast!!! I finally did the job at the DIY center on post and everything turned out great.  

I'm glad you were able to take this on yourself. That's the only way to learn how to do it in my opinion. Otherwise you hand over a ton 'o money to the mechanics to do the same work. Some will do a crappy job with cheap parts so they can pocket more of the profits too. There's a whole lot of idiots out there that call themselves 'mechanics'.
I don't let anyone touch my beasts if I can help it. The more you do this sort of thing the easier it gets. Just take your time and if it don't make sense back off and do some reading before you just go for it. Some mistakes can be pretty expensive, but if you do your homework before the job it's not such a big deal.