I have a '23 AT4X and had the same problem. I put the new Readylift Air bag system on my truck. It is the same type of system the big trucks use. I love it. I also put a Readylift 4" lift on top of the factory 2" and I am told (and agree) that it is one of the best riding lifted trucks to come out of the shop. Not the best picture but it works.
You were lied to. They're on, they work great, no issues with suspension
If you have a provision for a second battery under the hood, that is a great place to mount the compressor. That's were mine is, fits awesome, out of the elements, and a snap to wire in.
Nothing works better than air bags. They maintain a true factory ride when not in use and can increase the payload exponentially while being infinitely adjustable to the particular need of each load. Adding springs just makes it stiffer from empty to fully loaded. Do as you wish.
How’s the ride when empty?
I'm looking hard at the RAS option on my current truck. I've ran AirRaid systems on previous trucks and liked them, but they're really pricey these days. I like the current stance of the truck and one of the things i'm trying to avoid is raising the ride height in the rear when unloaded. Did it increase the height in the rear after install? I am usually towing a camper or rally car and gear on a car hauler, so I would need to set the preload at least to the first gap width. Wondering if I can have my cake and eat it too like with bags.
I've had the air lift compressor fail on me twice in the winter where it wouldn't stop building air and blew up one of my air bags. This is the what I went with on my newest truck Logiq AirIQ. With this system you can go up to 180psi max. Also go with a small air tank, from my experience the system just works beter with an air reserve. This is my 3rd truck I've had air bags on.
