I changed my wheels this weekend and noticed a very strange appendage in the front wheel well. I can't figure out its purpose. I've never seen anything like it on any other car. It doesn't move. It's just a rigid finger that sticks out. I couldn't find it on the OEM MINI Parts catalog either. Anyone know? It may be to limit (hard stop) how far the wheel can turn. I've never seen that on a car. My motorcycles have always had a similar hard stop for the front end. I guess I should have turned the wheel all the way to one side while I had it on the lift to see it if engaged a stop bolt on the caliper.

 

Could that be some kind of shipping spacer that is placed on the suspension when the car leaves th factory? Maybe it should have been removed prior to delivery but wasn't? I'm like you: have never seen this before.

 

Aliens?

 

It can't be removed, it is part of the spindle. I too was staring at mine when I was doing a brake job and haven't come up with a good explanation for it. Maybe I will stare a little harder when I put my OEM pads back in and come up with something, but it isn't readily evident what its function is. I can say that I know an OEM manufacturer won't put that much extra material on a part without a specific function.