ok, here is the deal. I just bought some springs but Ive been searching for a while and dont know if you take the struts out and then compress the spring to take it off the strut or if you have to compress the spring when the strut is on the car.

the car is a 95 accord ex

 

Normally, you remove the strut (a 95 Accord has struts? I was certain they all had "double wishbone" equivalent suspensions), then compress the spring to remove it.

The ghetto way is to leave the car on its weight, remove the nuts keeping the spring on the shock/strut assembly, then lift the car to allow the springs to decompress. Or shoot the spring into a towel or unmounted tire.

 

dont quote this as I am pretty much a noob to suspension and suspension terms but I thought that strut referred to the shock/spring assy. but thanks for answering my question