Here's an attempt at step-by-step pic's and text for replacing the front springs and brake pads. You'll need good general tool access, but including: metric sockets: 13-16-17-18, Ratchets, breaker bar, floor jack & stands, Brakleen aerosol solvent and a **safe** spring compressor ( or do what I did and R&R the strut assemblies and have a local repair shop R&R the springs to the struts for you. Mine charged me $50 for all four springs R&R'd) You'll also need a 5mm, 6mm & 7mm alan wrench to remove the brake calipers and ABS sensors. Also: do yourself a favor and buy a box of 100 blue nitrile gloves from any autoparts store: you'll do you and your car a favor by staying clean and/or replacing gloves as they tear or get dirty.
After jacking the car and removing the front wheels, lift the hood and slightly loosen the three upper front strut nuts ( 3 per strut ) in the engine compartment.
Remove the ABS sensor ( 5mm or 6mm alan wrench )and set it aside.
Remove the rubber cap covering the brake caliper slider bolts to gain access to the claiper slider bolts themselves.
remove the slider bolts using a 7mm alan wrench.
Here's what the removed bolts look like. Clean the slider shanks while you have them out.
Remove the caliper sping clip with a flat bladed screwdriver. After removing the caliper, Remove the headlight leveling sensor arm (10mm wrench ). Note that this sensor is only on the RH front suspension...none of the Left side. If you don't remove it, you run the risk of breaking the sensor arm, so take a minute and take it off now. When you pull the strut later, you'll need to push the lower control arm down quite a bit, and the sensor arm will only limit the travel.
Remove the caliper and tie it off with a pice of wire so it doesn't hang supported only on the brake hose. Remove the brake Pad wear sensor wire ( only on one side ) and remove the brake pads from the caliper if you're replacing pads. Also remove the "pinch bolt" that secures the lower strut housing to the actual strut (one per side)
Remove the sway bar link nut and slip the link out of the strut tube. )
Remove the upper strut tower nuts. Using a pry bar or breaker bar, leverage the lower suspension down. Be sure to use a cloth to cover the inner lip of the fender. While prying down, pull/lever out the entire strut so that it's outside the fender.

Holding the spring, twist the shock assembly rocking it from side-to-side to loosen it from the lower strut housing, and lift the spring & strut out of the lower housing / off the car.
Clean up all your parts, get your springs installed,reverse your steps to reinstall the strut with the new spring installed and you're done. Then be sure to get your car quickly four wheel aligned at a reputable alignment shop. The H&R's dropped the car the amounts they had indicated and looks & handles remarkably better with no sacrifice in ride quality, and I'm still using the stock struts ( 32,000 miles on the car).