How hard is it to replace the Pitman and Idler arms and what else should be replaced when doing those?

The idler is a snap. The pitman will require a puller to get it off the steering gear box. I couldn't tell you how many times customers have brought in the steering gear box for us to remove the pitman arms. Many times it also requires repeated blows with a large hammer and heating up with a torch. Of course this is with vehicles that have been driven around in MN all there life so there may be a little more corrosion than normal.

Well the vehicle is from Iowa with 170,000 plus miles, so imagine the corrosion will be bad. Might not be a job for a shade tree... Are there other parts to replace while doing the idler and pitman? Thanks

While its jacked up off the ground you can check the tie rod ends and ball joints. Remember the jack needs to be under the control arms to take the load off the ball joint so they can be checked.