Better brakes?

If yours is a 95 a hydro boost conversion would help a lot and make sure the drums are adjusted up tight, makes a huge difference

Someone on pirate4x4 was doing the same thing but using an industrial 14" rotor.
I thought about doing something similar. Only problem is youre welding onto cast iron even with a nickel rod its probably not gonna work out well.
Another thing I worry about is the lack of ABS and what happens if you accidentally really put your foot into it.
Otherwise, I might give it a try if I can find some old D60 knuckles to mess with.

yeah I did the hydro conversion, braided steel lines, slotted rotors, hawk pads. Still scary as hell

The front knuckles are steel, not iron. Those welds have held up fine over the last two years. The ABS can be retained if needed since the sensor is located opposite from the caliper mount.

I put disk brakes on the back of my 94, rotors and calipers of mid chevy front fwd drive. Took some effort but they work good.