I installed mine Stipe Shocks last year... Here's what I did
1) Installed the arms to the shock core on a bench.
2) Loosely attached (just a thread or two) the arm/core assembly to the frame. You want to have as much play as you can for step 4) --so that assembly is just hanging on the frame..
3) Pack the original style links and it's parts with very cold grease (cold grease is stickier, helped me with holding all the parts). I stuck my whole gun in the refrigerator .
4) Attach the link to the frame ball, then to the shock arm ball. (frame ball 1st, then pull up on towards the shock arm ball and cap off with link screw cap.
5) Tighten the link screw cap.
6) Tighten the shock core to the frame.
(YES step 4 is a pain in the ***).