A video making the rounds on social media shows a pair of mechanics holding up an upper control arm from a new Ram 1500, calling the design shameful.

They tap on the part, which makes a hollow plastic sound, and joke that it looks like a recycled milk crate. With millions of views (currently sitting at 4.7 million,) the clip has many truck owners asking if Ram is cutting corners by using plastic in a critical suspension component.

Ram 1500 Upper Control Arms: More Than Meets the Eye

It’s an understandable reaction; seeing what looks like plastic in a spot where you expect to see forged steel can be jarring. But as it turns out, there’s more to the story than what the short video shows. According to the guys from All Win Auto, the part isn’t just a piece of plastic.

A composite shell encloses an internal steel structure, and an e-coat then protects the entire component from corrosion. This isn’t a new cost-cutting measure, either. Ram has been using this on the Ram 1500 upper control arms since the 2019 model launched.

Lightweighting Over Brute Strength

So why use this design? The move wasn’t about saving money; in fact, this composite and steel arm is more expensive to produce than a simple steel or aluminum part. The design is a key part of a lightweighting strategy. Engineers know that the Ram 1500 upper control carry a tiny fraction of the load that the heavy-duty lower arms do.

This created an opportunity to use a lighter material in a low-stress area without sacrificing strength where it matters most. This engineering principle isn’t unique to Ram. The off-road-focused Ford Bronco Raptor, for example, uses heavy-duty steel for its lower control arms but chooses lighter aluminum for the uppers for the same reason.

Engineering Over Outrage

While there are certainly examples of questionable cost-cutting in modern vehicles, this doesn’t appear to be one of them. The guys from All Win Auto confidently concluded their explanation with a simple challenge: “Feel free to put a magnet next to the part.” It’s a solid reminder that in modern vehicle design, advanced engineering can sometimes look deceiving at first glance.