ydkcioc said:
So when the time comes would you guys recommend having it towed to a mechanic instead of driving it there?
I think the ring maybe reinforces the bushing, makes it stiffer. The thicker side of the bushing is pointed towards the inside of the car, where the bushing gets it's forces from the suspension.
So maybe your bushings are quite worn (they are a wear item) and it's time to replace them.
Towing to the garage is not necessairy, and neither is stopping to drive the car imho.
But maybe time to find a good indy and buy the bushings online for a decent price (you can also opt for Meyle HD or Powerflex if you want a stiffer bushing with more lifetime; otherwise go for Lemförder branded, they are the OEM) and have them replaced in the near future.
For people who don't have a clear picture where they're situated, here's a highres pic where you can see them sitting inside the rubber bushing:
http://buyparts.co.kr/shop/largeimage.php?it_id=1438329061&t=3
In these bushings you see the bmw logo removed by hand (probably with a dremel tool).
This is normal practice in the aftermarket parts business. These were made on the same production line as the original ones (so at lemförder). Usually parts manufacturers hold the rights to sell the parts themselves that they make for a car brand, but the embedded brandlogo has copyright so they need to remove that. Sometimes by hand (in this case) and sometimes they have an insert that they can place in the mold that blanks out the logo and you can see the traces of the insert.
