If I remember right, my '84 box had the c-clip last, exposed and easy. It may be that the box varied from the factory through the years on the order of seal, clip, cover, or seal, cover, clip.
Back when I did mine, I burned up the "search" function and found this from another TRS thread:
Steering box replacement
. . . the only difference I had when I did mine both times is the c-clip goes on last, after the dust seal... even from the factory when taking things apart it was c-clip then dust seal then main seal and you didnt use the spacers at all. I just replaced it the way it came out from the factory. If you put the dust seal on after the c-clip you will have a bitch of a time trying to get the dust seal out of there if you have to replace it again sometime to get to the c-clip. With the dust seal inside the clip then you just have to take the clip out and use the truck on steering full lock trick to pop out both the main seal and the dust seal."
https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?threads/steering-box-replacement.19921/
One tip I can pass. On mine, I used a 4" diameter cardboard tube cut to jam-fit between the box and my catch pan. When I blew the seal out of it the spraying fluid was completely contained to the pan. You could roll some cardboard and tape it to make the same thing., if you don't want the mess.
Good luck!
P.S.- I hate admit it, but I found that it was oddly satisfying blowing that old sucker out with the lock-to-lock trick. It's like . . . planned carnage.