You can replace the front shocks without a spring compressor. What you need to do is put a jack up under the lower control arm with all the suspension still bolted up. Put a little bit of pressure on the LCA, just enough to make sure it doesn't slip out of place. Now unbolt the center top bolt and slowly lower the jack. This will let the spring expand slowly and safely without a spring compressor. Leave the top plate bolted up, and once the spring has fully expanded, remove the lower bolt going through the LCA and slide the shock and expanded spring out. Now you can either replace the springs with lowering ones, or cut a coil off the stock ones. To put it back together , you just slide it in place, loosely install the lower bolt, and jack up on the LCA while making sure the top of the shock slided through the hole in the top plate. Also just so you know, there is nothing wrong with cutting springs, as long as you do it with a cut-off wheel and not a torch. The only "bad" effect cutting springs has is that it makes them stiffer. If this doesn't bother you (doesn't bother me at all) then just cut the fronts and save yourself some cash.
