[MikeK]

The untethered spring moves straight up and down. The wishbone moves in a radius that is only tangent when the spring is compressed to standing curb height. Unless you're shimmied under the car with no jackstands and the spring is compressed some persuasion from a 2x4, pry bar, or bar clamp is generally needed. If you have the car lifted by the frame a little boost of the front axle by a helper with a floor jack under the center of it usually does the trick. Be careful under there.