What is the right lift kit?
 

I have not had my 98 blazer long and i have been working out several little kinks. The next item on my list is the suspension. I would love to do a suspension lift and i have been looking at the rough country 2.5 inch lift kit and it seems like a good kit and within my price range. Has anyone used this kit or is there a better one out there for around 500-600 dollars. I am not a fan of the body lift.

I am looking to do the lift sometime at the end of this summer but I have noticed a knock in the front left ball joint. Is it a good idea to just wait until i do the lift to replace both ball joints or should I get the ball joint replaced right away and then end up having to replace it again when i do the lift in a few months. I would like to wait but i don't want to do and further damage to the car.

If you don't want to do any further damage to the car, don't do the suspension lift. Doesn't really matter when you replace the ball joints. You'll be replacing them regularly, along with other steering and suspension parts if you do a suspension lift. You'll "spend crazy money", guaranteed. When you understand the geometry of an SLA suspension with torsion bars, you'll understand why you'll have continuous problems when it's lifted. If you really feel the need for a lift, a body lift is the way to go.

Or you can add a few inches of body lift plus suspension. A friend of mine have done this kind of set up and it works w/o any problems.

Body lifts is really the way to go, like Cap hook said, all your drive shaft angles change with suspension lifts putting more pressure and wear on the cv and u joints. Abody lift will be the fastest way to bigger tires and its really easier than a suspension lift. But if you do go the suspension rt, grease your joint often. You could do what I just did and put in add a leafs 35 bucks which will give you 1 1/2 -2 inches in the back and crank your t bars an inch or so

Also I think the lift kit comes with ball joints

If you're looking for a small lift (say an inch or two) I'd go body lift. If you're looking big lift, I'd go SAS. Like Captain Hook said, lifting these trucks are hard on parts regardless if it spends its time on the road or on the dirt.

If you just want the look of a lifted truck, a body lift is fine. But if you plan to actually go offroad, it won't gain you any extra ground clearance. The rough country kit comes with brackets to drop the front differential to maintain the right cv angle, although ball joints will still suffer.

If you need lift, and plan to actually 'wheel, then a SAS is the best choice!

Thanks for the input guys. I have been looking into a few different options and now have a revised question. I think I am going to get my rear leafs re-shaped and add a full leaf in the interest of better suspension for hauling trailers and stuff (I realize that will make my ride stiffer for 'wheelin but I need to do a bit of everything in my rig). The guy that is doing my leafs assured me that he could get me 2 more inches above stock in the back. I don't want to do a body lift in the front if I am dong this right? So is there a good lift kit the only comes with the front end parts? or is a torsion bar key my only option if I go this route?

The rough country kit comes with add a leafs for the back and the front stuff. Also you cant do just a front body lift

I don't think you can only body lift half the truck. That dosnt sound kosher one bit. Why not do what "pj whatever the numbers are after that" did and do a ball joint flip and tweak the front torsions up an inch or 2? It'll be a little harder on the front end components, but all lifts will be.