Front strut replacement

Ok I am going to give this a try. I have read all the posts on the subject, but some things are still unclear and would appreciate some advice.

1. The control arm is supported to prevent the spring from releasing. I purchased a spring compressor as an extra safety measure, but the claws will not fit between the coils, even with the car raised. Will have to try another type.

Question - while the control arm is supported, it seems that you still have to raise/lower the car in order to get the new strut aligned with the bolt holes of the steering knuckle? This seems to be the tricky part.

2. I did poorly with HS geometry. Can anyone direct me to a simple explanation (I mean with pictures) on how the strut affects alignment (caster I believe) and how one adjusts. The car has been aligned with the old struts and one thread said it needs to be aligned again with the new ones.

Question - is the car still driveable with the caster out of wack so you can get to the shop for alignment?

Any thoughts appreciated - Ron

[engatwork]

Just change them and go. A couple 10 mm at the bottom and 17 mm at the top. Pretty straight forward unbolt/bolt. Changed the one out on the 300TD today. You have to kinda position the front ones for the 10mm to fit the bottom. You will need to "jack" up the lower control arm to bring the top of the strut through the upper hole.