you dont really need a compressor...it just makes a little easier/safer...you can easily decompress your springs by using an allen wrench and crecent wrench...at the top of the strut, you can see a nut, inside that nut, theres a place for an allen wrench...find the right size, stick in there...then find the right size crecent wrench (12mm i think), youve gotta loosen the nut with the cresent wrench...make sure you keep the allen wrench in the same position...the allen wrench help keep the gas shock from moving around w/ the nut...either do this with the strut still bolted to the car or removed...if you do it while its removed, work slowly and keep your foot on both the spring and the top black thing(not sure of the name) that holds the spring in...when you get the nut off enough, the spring might pop a little bit, but if you keep enough pressure/weight on the spring and black thing, you should be fine and injury free...i just did my coilovers yesterday...took about 1hr for all 4 corners