Swap from power to manual steering/brakes for racing

[team39763]

What up ya'll? I was wondering if there is any weight to be lost by switching to manual steering on my 82 C10. It's a race-only vehicle and currently I have the power steering lines disconnected. Am I doing any damage by not having fluid going to the steering box? I've been reading and it seems as if I'll only need the manual box and the pitman arm....right? *Yes, I did a search but didn't see a clear answer.*

I already have the manual brake setup. I haven't put it in yet because I'm still trying to understand what needs to be done. What does it mean to bench bleed a master cylinder? What's the easiest way to bleed the brakes on my truck? Do I need that rubber boot that goes over the pushrod?...the one I have is torn in the front towards the pedal. Is it just a dust cover?
Like I said, it's a race only truck and I'm looking to shed all the weight I can and cut down parasitic loss.