2004 F150 Front Shock Replacement

I have a supercrew cab Lariat and need to change the front shocks. How big of a job is this? The shocks are mounted inside the coil springs. From the manual, it says I need to remove the tie rod end from the steering knuckle. It also says that a qualified repair shop should do the servicing of the unit. Would it be better to replace the shock and spring assembly as a unit? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

You have what is call a "coil over shock" set up. If you dont have access to a spring compressor, do not try and do this yourself. You can pull the shocks and take them to a shop and have them swap out the parts.