Dave,
I was just as apprehensive as you seem to be. I followed the instructions in the Shop Manual and the improvement was noticeable and beneficial. Fear of the unknown held me back - if your steering box is clean and the nuts are not stuck, you'll wonder why you did not do this right away. If you have a cheap fish scale and follow the instructions, you cannot hurt anything.
Here's my advice (and hint): just do it.
Good luck,
