I have to agree with several of the posters so far. I would definitely weigh the reputation of the shop you are at. This is a common, high profit item. I remember a shop wanted $800 to change out upper and lower ball joints on my sister's S10 4WD. It took less than $100 in parts and 4 hours to do them all.
On top of that, if you wanted to tackle it yourself, it's a pretty simple job. I've done the entire suspension and steering rebuild on quite a few vehicles. You only need a couple of specialty tools, but you can usually rent them at most parts stores now. For tie rod ends, the most you'll need is a pickle fork, but usually a sharp hammer blow will free the tie rod end.
As for buying the tie rod end, I'm sure it's an outer.......inners are a pain and rarely go bad that early, especially on a rack and pinion setup. I usually end up buying a name brand/lifetime warranty tie rod end. I plan on keeping my cars. As for the changeout, not that tough, but you may want to both sides as a front end alignment is in order afterward. Quick check online shows about $30 each for the outers.
As for Factory Service Manuals, I usually wait for Helm to hold a sale. I bought my 1997 manuals for less than $60. The online site mentioned is a great resource, but I just like having the printed manual available, as many times, I have to jump around between sections for a single job.
