The right way to do it is to use a spring compressor that goes through the hole in the control arm where the shock absorber mounts, and engages the spring with a pair of hooks over a couple of coils. There's a flat plate that bridges the shock absorber hole in the control arm.
The shade tree method is to loop a piece of heavy chain underneath the base of your jack, and secure it to the frame ahead of, and behind the spring pocket. Compress the spring enough to unload the lower ball joint, knock the taper loose, and gently lower the control arm to take the tension off the spring. Installation is the reverse procedure, compressing the spring with the chain-anchored jack and reattaching the control arm. It's much safer with the correct tools! Loop a small piece of chain through the spring to retain it in case anything slips, and never put your hands in a position where the spring can fly loose and take a few fingers on the way.
Jerry
