Tie rod replacement ... advice?

[BodhiBenz1987]

Took my car to get new wheels + alignment today, and the shop said I need new tie rods ... which I believe, considering the wear patterns on the old tires. Going to try a DIY for this, as it doesn't look like a real brutal job (already ordered OE tie rods for $50 less EACH than what the shop quoted me). I've done the search and have the FSM so I know the procedure, but could use advice:
-Some people are OK with the pickle fork rather than the joint separator. Others say go with the MB tool or something similar. I'm replacing the whole tie rods, so do I really need to worry about preserving the sanctity of the ball joints? I.e., can/should I do this job well using a pickle fork instead of a $300 tool? Opinions appreciated.
-This might be a dumb question, but I think my overall intelligence is high enough that I can afford the hit of an occasional dumb question. Do you have to remove the wheel to do this? And do you have to jack up both sides of the car or can you go one side at a time? I have a somewhat-legitimate fear of my car falling on me. I usually use ramps and go under from the front, so if it rolls off it will only break several bones, and not crush/flatten me entirely. Unfortunately a state-of-the-art lift will not fit my budget, and definitely won't fit my garage.

Thanks guys ...