Speedometer Replacement/Cable/Horrible Day

Due to my back spine problems I've had to find my own methods.
Starting with the battery disconnected, wheel chocked if column shift, seat all the way back, on my knees in the drivers doorway. Ratchet with long extension gets me to the column plate to firewall bolts. Phillips head gets the 1 bolt holding the fusebox in place and the 2 lower screws in the column door. Then 1 of 3 upper column plate bolts at lower right side. ( and while on that subject, beware when reinstalling. There is a caged nut in a slot above that bolt. If you should crossthread or otherwise fubar that nut, nightmare to correct ). Set the fusebox out of its bracket, push the release button and pull the stem from the headlight switch. Remove that switch to bezel nut, move the switch out of my way too. This provides arm space for disconnecting the speedo cable, etc..I'll come back to this postion later to diconnect stuff since the inst' panel is comming out.
Up and into the drivers seat to remove more stuff including the wiper switch knob and bezel nut. Shop towels cover the column bells. Last 2 pieces of hardware at column support gets me complete control of it movement, straight down and straight back up again. Too much left and right movement is not good for all those unseen parts like pissy little upper bearing, signal switch, shifter linkage, etc..
I wont detail climate controls and radio since you didn't say yours is a rallye panel.

Oh yeah and to answer your original question, Some of the complicated aseembly design was meant to deter odometer tampering.