Best Way to Get Manual's Preventative Maintenance Items Done

Hello,

I am knowledgeable enough to do basic maintenance such as changing the oil and replacing spark plugs. I was reading the manual to determine what preventative maintenance it recommends, and I realized that there are a good number of items that I do not know how to do. For example,

- Replace drive belt
- Lubricate ball joint and u-joints if equipped with perk fittings
- Inspect wheels ends for endplay and noise
- Change PCV Valve Filter
- Inspect exhaust system and heat shields
- Replace thermostat
- Change brake fluid
- Change transfer case oil
- Change differential fluid
- Change transmission fluid and filter
- Inspect half shaft dust boots
- Check shocks and struts and other suspension components for leaks and damage. Inspect steering and linkage.
- Parking brake: Check/adjust
- et al.

I was hoping to do some reading to learn how to do these things, but given that there are many things like this that I do not know how to do, I may not have time to learn all of them before they are due.

I think perhaps for some (if not most) of these items, I should just go to a mechanic and have them check and see if they need to be done. I was wondering if you could possibly offer any advice about how to do this without getting ripped off? Should I just take the list in and ask how much he would charge to do all these things?

Any help is appreciated.