Electric fuel pump for Dakota?

Somewhat related question, do you have to remove the box to change fuel pumps or can you just drop the tank, or is it just easier to remove the box because of Murphys Law, the fuel pump is going to go out when the tank is full? I am sure I will have to change the fuel pump in my 98 Dakota eventually(v6 with 180,000 miles). Read somewhere that when the gas guage quits working that the fuel pump isn't far from going out. My gas gauge has been working only intermittently for about the last 20,000 miles.