Originally Posted by Best4x4

IMHO the bottle jack is quicker to get your axle to drop a little more to insert the spring and also safer. The Spring Compressor is time consuming, scratches the paint on your coils (they tend to slide around at first until it's tight on the spring), and you MUST align them properly across from each other as to not damage the spring during install, but with the spring perch/frame in the way that isn't always as easy as it sounds to do.

I've done at least 10 D1/D2 lifts and the bottle jack is without a doubt the winner vs the spring compressor tools.

Honestly with an OEM bottle jack lifting your D2, you should be able to install some jack stands, and with the tires & shocks off you should be able to get the axle to fully drop (if equipped with larger tires a block under the bottle jack is handy to compensate for the larger tires). Then stick the bottle jack in one side between the axle (on the bump stop flat spot for example) and then on the frame and pump it until you can remove the coil.

I do take the time to remove the ABS/Brake line bracket on both rear sides to prevent any damage to them (I think it's a single 10mm on each side).

Originally Posted by Best4x4

Bottle Jack makes it quick and painless with just a few pumps vs cranking down a spring then trying to install it only to find out the coil spring compressor tools are in the way of the frame or coil spring mount.......

On the front you let let the axle drop as far as it'll go, then stick the bottle jack between the frame/axle and pump it just a few times until the new spring slides into place (I can normally remove the OEM springs once the axle is at full drop). For the rear I do unclip the ABS lines and disconnect the one brake line/frame mount so I don't stress the brake line/ABS line. Then I use the bottle jack just like with the front axle and place it between the frame and axle.