am I correct to assume that most people on here torque up the rear a-arm bushing before mounting the whole arm/bracket back onto the car, rather than following the shop manual's instructions of removing the exhaust and torquing it when the car's full weight is on the wheels? I read a few posts that seemed to say that's how people are doing it, and that's what I did yesterday when I replaced them.

I just can't imagine how anybody fits a torque wrench in there, especially when the car is already sitting on the ground! these instructions made me question the sanity of my book, or am I missing something?

I tightened it prior to mopunting the bracket back up to the Firewall.
As Art mentioned.. Just look at the relationship of A arm to bracket as it would be when loaded and mimic it.
The basic idea here is to not have the Rubber bushing in a Stressed position when the car is just sitting stationary on the ground. The rubber should be 'relaxed' when the car is sitting still.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html http://cleanflametrap.com/tony/

I do as you quoted. If you look at the attitude of the control arm with the car on the ground, it is flat with respect to the bottom of the bushing bracket. This is easy to duplicate on the garage floor or flat surface driveway.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. -James Joyce

it's been awhile, but I did it by the book, seem to recall assembled it but left it loose, had the car on jack stands, all 4 corners at wheels, torqued it down. easier with a real garage.
--
Patrick ('68 220, '92 Eurovan, '53 GMC PD4104)

I use poly at this location for the ease of installation and the extra abuse this bushing takes. You don't need to torque these down loaded like the rubber.
Dan