Yeah, tryna get car time, especially around Christmas! - Maybe it might make it quicker and easier to think of it like this,
The steering will all fall out in one heap (yeah true maybe on your hand) with just nine bolts if you undo the steering arms from the steering knuckle, - no tie rods to split! You can leave the upper steer shaft on too.
If the brakes are undone at the rear wheels, the diff connector, the regulator connector, and the front hoses, it can all come out in one piece like a giant spider web by just unbending the tangs, and pulling out the clips at the hoses - it gets a bit bent usually! But, is it actually reusable anyway?
If the brake lines are throw outs, the faces of the nuts at the joins may also determine this, you don't even have to undo the bolts, you can just cut the line. (Btw if you go for new brake lines I think you can only get metric size nut faces now? (on imperial thread?) so, if any of the pipe joiners have good nut faces, and you do end up cutting the line, you may want to save the joiner? - just a thought.
Then its just the caliper bolts, and the brakes and steering are done.
The stabiliser bar is only 6 bolts if you only do one nut on the link at each end (which ever nut comes off easiest) and then drag it out however it comes.
The suspension unit, well yeah, its heavy, but the cool thing is you only have to split two ball joints (doesn't matter top or bottom), and once the spring is out its only 4 bolts and the whole thing falls apart, and the bits can be dragged out all still attached to each other like the steering. (you might want to protect the stub axles when dragging though depends how they are).
There used to be a spike type ball splitter too, - about 1.5-2m long with a blunt point, - you stuck it in the notch on the top of the lower ball stub and hit from the top at standing height - these made it easier, has to be made of heavy steel though, and you still have to have the commonsense set up right of course - but if you can get one they help!!
Done that way, I make that only 30 bolts.... (lol sounds so easy!) so, if you brush just those ones off and get em soaked in diesel on one afternoon, then give them all a shot of penetrene, and another hit over the next day, that should speed it up.
Also, if you do the chassis yourself with an angle grinder, you don't have to do it all in one hit of course, you could clean it up and prime it in sections.
Merry chassis cleaning, hope this helps!
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