Thanks, I needed that!

My hub is in pretty bad shape, and one of these days I'm going to have to face the music and overhaul the thing. So... for those of you who have opened these things up, I have Lots-O-Questions!

--What special tools did you need -- like this "ball ring spanner" thingie, what's that and where did you get it? Is there an alternative?
--Did you replace the circlip and pawl springs as instructed, or did you just re-use everything?
--If you replaced anything, where did you get the replacement parts?
--What grease did you use when reassembling?

Any advice will be appreciated!
Rudi