Loose wobbly manual shift lever.

[Dieselburb86]

So I have a question regarding the shift lever, in my 2000 s10, with the nv1500 transmission. So my shift lever assembly is loose do to worn out bushings. What is the best way to remove and replace? There is a black rubber mat that basically runs on the bottom of the floor boards around the top of the transmission. Can I just cut the rubber out along the top of the transmission inside the cab, or do I drop the trans and do it that way?