Ldub, Can I get some clarification on this here?
I have jacked up the car such that I had plenty of space to work, but did not actually raise the tire completely off the ground. In this position, I was able to remove the top shock nut and the lower shock nut. Since I have the wheel extended with the jack, I am able to physically compress the old shock enough such that I can actually remove the verticle pin from the upper frame hole. Doesn't this suggest that I have no pressure or torque on the lower bolt, and thus would not need to seperately jack up the lower control arm? Am I misunderstanding the forces and connection points?