'60-'62 front axle vs later years--interchange?

[Brad54]

I'm gathering info for a '62 K10 long-step project I'm going to start after the first of the year.
I'm a little uneasy about the closed-knuckle front axle, in terms of cost to rebuild it and strength, and also brakes.
I plan to use the truck as my daily driver (4spd manual OD with .73:1 final), and also haul my vintage race car until I can get the deer-crashed Suburban in my avatar back on the road.
It'll go off-road occasionally, camping, hunting and a really nice fishing hole that's only accessible off road. All generally light 'wheeling though.

Should I rebuild the stocker and upgrade the drum brakes with self-adjusters (like I did on my 'burban), or swap in a late open-knuckle with discs?

If I swap in a later 44, my concern is with the spring mounts: the '60-'62 frames are narrower than the '63-'66 frames. Will the leaf spring mounts on the axles be a different width too? Or were they all the same due to offset of the spring perches on the chassis?

-Brad