Update to my issue.

The original axles were well past due for a change, the inner boots have been torn since I bought the Runner 3 years ago.

I bought the Carquest axles from Advance Auto and installed them last night. Before I changed them out, i grabbed both axles to see if there was play. I could shake both of them but the passenger side seemed very loose.

During the removal, both axles essentially fell out, leaving the 'tulip' in the transfer case.

Overall this remove/replace procedure on the axles is pretty simple.

I'm happy to report that 90% of my steering wheel shake is gone. I'll be doing another trans fluid exchange soon and hopefully that will take care of the rest of the shaking. I'm thinking the axles were so bad that they were amplifying the little bit of shake that's there now.