re: Gas springs: how to compress?

Rachet would have been mine. I use em to put small tires back that lost a bead lock on the rim and was deflated.

I've taken scrap piece of wood and drilled a hole with like a 3/4" bit and made enough of an indention to hold the rounded end of the shaft from sliding off and installed the upper then used the wood block and a jack to push the lower in place.