I cant imagine I'd forgotten about the most important detail! :p

My car is a 1983 W126 (280SEL), and as JCE mentioned, there is indeed a lateral pin holding the end of the spring to the sleeve. But John, does that mean that once this pin is removed, the entire assembly cannot be used anymore?

Ymsin, I'm changing the star logo for a new one simply bcos it shines better, and I like the glistening effect when you drive under a sunny sky. And of course I agree that with the star, my driving has been consistently good, hehe.

Thanks for the info everyone, will appreciate any more advice. Meanwhile, I'll go do a search.

Mervyn