Okay, here's something that I don't remember noticing before -- it's on the rear brakes of my late* 1993 240 -- I don't remember seeing this on my early* '93 240; and it definitely hasn't been on any of my prior model year 240's.
( * I designate "late" because this car also has the special cluster of three fuses held attached to the positive battery terminal's clamp, also a late '93 feature, that my other, earlier '93 doesn't have.)

What I'm asking about is a FORWARD-pointing protrusion, horizontal and covered in a rubber "bumper" pad, that is bolted to the back (inboard side) of my rear brakes' backing plate.
(I am NOT referring to the solid metal protrusion that is rearward, part of the caliper, and that is meant to engage the triangular plate of the rear body panel/bumper assembly, and meant to transfer kinetic energy to the rear axle in a rear-end collision.)

This flimsier, rubber-clad structure that I'm asking about is pointed 180 degrees from the just noted metal structure -- it points forward! The rubber cladding is just like the vertical piece meant as a spring compression stop, but I don't see what this is meant to do, and what it's supposed to bounce against, since it only protrudes forward of the backing plate about an inch, hardly enough to do anything. And it's mounted by some rather flimsy metal pieces that can hardly absorb a collision's energy. All it seems able to do is prevent the fitting of very wide, small diameter (~14") wheels???

So folks, anyone know what this is, and what it's for???

Thanks.