okay so Ive been trying to replace my struts on my car, but i couldnt do it before i left for school but now Im back and I need to change them cuz my car is bouncing around like a super-bounce ball. The problem I was having was that I could not fit a spring compressor inbetween the coils. The suggestion I got last time was to:

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Screw the whole spring compressor thing. In several of the cars that I've changed the springs out with lowering springs, I've NEVER once used a spring compressor.

Call me crazy? Maybe. Here's my method:

- With the shock and spring assembly still in the car, loosen the top center bolt as far as possible while leaving it secured on a few threads.

- Remove the assembly from the car as a whole.

- Wrap the assembely up in a very large blanket or towel (nothing your mother would kill you over if you got dirty). Wrap this up very tightly, but leaving the end with the top center nut exposed just enough that you can get your wrench and allen key in there.

- Low the assembly on it's side, preferably outside, near a wall or a some type of blockage, but keep about 10 feet away. Have a friend stand on the side of the assembly.

- With your friend standing on the assembly, slowly loosen your top center nut, watching were the nut shoots off (just in case).

You're all reading this, thinking I'm nuts. But believe me, the blanket or towel that you've wrapped around the spring as well as your friend's body will absorb the released energy as you loosen that top center nut.

NOTE: I have yet to see any damage come of this, but perform at your own risk.
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but the problem is im a total car noob, and I dont know what they mean by the whole assembly, and how to remove it. could someone point out exactly step by step what they are talking about (i included a diagram of struts). and maybe some other suggestions.

i was also told
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Or you could jack up the oppsite side of the car and use the car to compress the spring lossen the nut then jack up the side you are working on. Then to put it back together do it again.
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I was gonna post that. Just pop the top nut off the whole assembly then as you jack the car up you're going to be using the car to release the spring pressure. Once it's all the way up you might have some fun trying to get everything out but at least you won't be shooting a strut across the garage.
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but he says "you might have some fun trying to get everything out" what does he mean by this? will this technique work???

 

what he means by releasing the tension of the spring inside the wheel well, is that when the nut is off, the spring and effectively the whole assembly will be like 4 inches longer... and its already a tight space...

the way i do it is i take out the whole strut and spring, i lay it on the floor and take the grinder to the coils.. usually you have to cut 3 coils to make it short enough to undo the nut...
no tension, no flying parts... and if you ever want to put it back to stock (which you probably never will) you can goto the scrap yard and get them for $40

 

uh still confused, you really gotta break it down for me... or maybe its late. iono

but youre not understanding me, these are aftermarket springs that I do not wish to take to the grinder....