hehe, don't feel bad. I didn't loose springs though, what I launched were the rice grain sized pins that sit on top of the spring. That front takedown is a bear to get in when you have paws the size of Volkswagens. I launched 3 of them before i called MA Sales and had the installation tool dropped in the mail. I told MA that the tool should just be included with every lower parts kit.
Yankee is right, now that I know exactly what it is and how it works, a clevis pin would have done the trick.