Hmm, maybe i found it easy because I have a full 4-arm lift, but I seemed to have plenty of access on mine. The bracket between the transmission and the muffler was kind of a pain to get all of the bolts out, however I never had a point where i felt there was no way I could get a socket on them.
Maybe you need to invest in a set of shallow sockets. They're very helpful in times like this.
Took me about an hour and a half to get my muffler in and out when I did a solid polishing job on it.
At least you got it done and didn't loose hope! All is well
Best of luck next time!
~Brad