The heim joints on either end of the linkage rode are seized on some (my) bikes. Even once the linkage rod was off the bike, I had to get some extra wrenches and a pair of carefully placed vice grips to get the one end free, and that's after a day or so of pb blaster bathing for the threads. If you can just loosen those lock nuts and twist the damn thing, sir, you are a lucky man
If I had to do the whole removal again, it wouldn't be nearly as bad now that I know what I'm doing. As long as you have a front stand/chock and a jack of some sort to pull/add weight from the swing arm it should be cake.
As a note, one thing I noticed after I lengthened the rod was that the top part of the rod (where it attaches to the rocker arm) wasn't accessible due to its new location behind one of the frame spars. If memory serves, I had to remove the bolt from the top of the shock so that the linkage rod could come down far enough to where I could get a wrench on it. Then reaffix the top bolt, then put both of them through the bottom bolt. It seems like a hassle, but it's not to bad. I just had the misfortune of having to assemble/disassemble/assemble/disassemble, etc.
