I had mine done on my 140, and my mecchanic told me he lowered the exhaust by removing the "doughnuts, its messy and crowded. The accumulators are typically less than $100

Could someone here please let me know what is truly involved?
I need to replace the rear struts.
I already took apart the interior rear of the car and have access to the tops of the struts, with the little rubber/plastic caps out to see the hydraulic lines going to the tops of the struts.
Is there an "out line" for that fluid someplace? I see the pictures of the struts show a little side hole for the obvious lines mentioned at the top, but the bottoms only appear to have bolts to bolt to the bottom of the car.
Is this something doable by a jack stand situation, or does it require a lift?
Any details are appreciated.