Strut Bar Removal -- Need some safety advice

I don't know when or where this happened, but the Strut Rod Bracket which holds the Stabilizer Bar link set broke off on both sides. Fortunately I don't drive it much because it rides terribly without the Stabilizer Bar connected.

This is the right front:



This is the left front with the link & bushings removed:



I loosened the nuts on the Strut Bar bolts. The front bolt (left side) slipped right out. The rear bolt (left side) will not separate from the bracket and I'm unable to remove the bracket.






Question:

Because the diagrams in the service manual and parts diagrams contradict themselves, I don't know if the text is accurate either.

The service manual seems to indicate that the coil spring needs to be compressed before the Strut Bar can be removed. I'm not sure why because I felt no pressure (up or down) when the Strut Bar bolts were loosened.

If I can help it, I'd like to avoid decapitating myself under the coil springs. That would ruin my day for sure.

Can the Strut Bar be removed by pounding in the proper places, or must I remove the coil spring or something else first?

 

Take the nuts off the strut rod bolts, (3), 2 that go through the lower a arm and the one bolt and nut that go's through the round end of the strut rod. put a jack under the lower spindle nut and lift the weight of the vehicle just off the jack stand. with a large screw driver, pry the spring away from the strut rod lower mount, just enough to pry the mount past the spring.
Go's back tougher the same way.

 

Finally I found a thread on my problem! 13 year old thread but those are great pics of my setup. Mine is not broken like his, just a bad bushing.

As far as putting a jack under the spindle nut as rhilton said above, what is a spindle nut? Does he mean the nut on the strut bar bolt that won't come free?

Should it really be feasible to pry the spring away from the bracket with a prybar so that the bracket can rise up to free its bolts?

Why not put a clamp on and pound out the bolts from the bracket? That would solve the whole thing. Are they pressed into the bracket too hard such that the bolts and bracket are inseparable? It kind of looks that way, but one of his bolts came right out so I don't know what to think. Mine aren't coming out so far.