You didn't say if you have a 4 wheel drive. That may make a difference on the work involved removing and replacing the rack. I have never done one on a Tacoma but looking at the shop manual for a 2003, I know you have a 98 but there probably isn't a lot of difference, it appears you need to remove the steering wheel due to the possibility of breaking a spiral cable, I believe it is associated with the air bag.
http://misc.mmdsi.net/tacoma/tacoma-manual/
For instructions on removal of the rack click on volume II and find:
Repair Manual##Steering##Power Steering Gear (2WD)##Removal
As I said they say you need to remove the steering wheel and associated components to remove the spiral cable before removing the rack. You don't want to do anything that may fire the air bag, so be careful if you decide to do the job.
Clifton