I have an internal type, welded a nut onto the free end of the threaded rod so I could turn it from the top when installed upside down. I usually put a chain through the spring and shock tower so it doesn't go anywhere if it lets loose. Many years ago a friend of mine was removing a spring in front of his garage when it came out of the compressor. The spring shot about half a block up the alley, hit a garage door, a took off again. He searched for about a half hour before he found it. Obviously if it had hit him he'd be dead.
I dunno. Unbolted the shocks before I took out the springs, was tuff getting them off the top perch. When I reassembled the springs, the shocks were just short enough to start in the bottom holes, but you couldn't start a nut on them. They may be the wrong shocks for the car, but now that the engine is in, they will bolt up fine.
