Mac mini 2011 upgrade SSD question
The less I remove, the less chance of making mistake; I've heard that tons of people mess up the IR connector.


While this sentiment is technically true, it's also important to note that if you don't remove what's necessary and you leave things "hanging" you could also damage components because they weren't designed to "just hang;" they are designed to make a connection.

People "mess up" the IR connector because they don't remove it properly. Ifixit.com warns specifically of this:

The bottom line is if you proceed carefully and methodically, you significantly lessen the chance of damaging things.  Most importantly, don't take shortcuts.