I completed this this past weekend and this was a HUGE help. A couple notes from my install:
1.) turning the wheel to the interior of the vehicle is a must.
2.) spray some lube, I used PB blaster on the base of the front shock
3.) I used the spring compressor on the first side I did, but noticed there just wasnt much tension on the spring. I decided not to use them on the other side and the top hat popped ~ 1/2". If I do it again, I personally wont use the compressors.
4.) when installing the new (in my case Eibach) springs, place the spring on the strut, twist it until it seats properly, then put he top hate on, twist it until you cant twist any more, then put the top nut on. Its fairly simple to press down on the top hate to get the nut started on the shock.
5.) Although the vehicle drove great, it wasn't bouncy, the steering wheel was centered, it didnt pull at all...I still went and got an alignment and I'm glad I did, it was completely out of spec.
For those of you without airbags in the rear, I made a DIY for the spring removal here:
https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1#post23946311