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I made a spring compressor for my COBRA.

Don't bother with them for taking the springs apart. Put the damper/spring unit in a vice and wrap the whole unit in a heavy blanket and very very carefully unscrew the nuts until it goes BANG! This procedure is fun if you have a dodgy heart, mind your wrist and don't point the collar end at anything you care about.

Get two bits of 3" angle iron about 6" long.

In one of the legs of each bit of iron, cut a semi circle that matches the radius of the threaded collar at the bottom and the collar radius at the top. This should be the same size as the inside radius of the springs.

Drill a couple of holes in the leg of the two bits of angle iron either side of the cutout big enough to take some threaded bar M10 or M12 is OK.

Place one of the bits of iron between the top collar and the spring and the second between the bottom collar and the spring, with the shock in place. Insert the two threaded rods and wind nuts down them to compress the spring just enough to get a couple of turns on the thread. (no need to fit the locking ring yet) You should not have to compress the springs much, maybe just and inch or so. You need six hands to do this, a vice and a willing mate helps. Don't ask the wife, the whole theory will scare the s**t out of her! Women seem to be able to detect danger in the simplest of tasks?

With the bottom collar engaged and wound up tight, you will note that the compressor is now trapped. Undo the threaded rod a bit and with a hammer, just knock it out sideways. KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE WAY or the resultant blood blister will have you hopping round the garage screaming for your mummy.

Best of luck.