[mr48chev]

There are pluses and minuses for every setup.

S-10 or subframe or front clip swaps end up needing a lot of front sheet metal mods in the inner fenders and around the core support.

I've seen well put together S-10 frame swaps and I've seen some that were scary as hell with suspect work. Those are often done by the throw them together cheap brigade who cut a lot of corners.

I'd expect to have to completely rebuild any S-10 front suspension and steering linkage just as I'd expect to have to rebuild any other donor suspension with a lot of miles on it. You are usually looking at a chassis with 100 to 200K on it when you find it.

Simple and not too expensive and drop the rig about 2 inches. Have your axle dropped and put lowering blocks on the back to lower the back. Even if you swap rear axles to open drive that can be done in a few hours quite easily. 53/54 car front brakes or a disk kit upgrades the front.

Simple but a little more expensive: One of the bolt on MII front crossmembers from Speedway or The other outfit selling them. All you need to put one in is a tape measure, 1/2 inch drill and a hand full of wrenches. You would have to buy the suspension pieces, brakes and steering to do it though.

Weld in crossmembers, the quality of the welding all depends on who does the welding. The scabbed on ones Joedoh referred to were usually done by someone with very limited skills and an under powered welder. You can't run to Lowes on Saturday morning and buy a wire feed welder and expect to do top rate welding Saturday afternoon if you have never welded before but guys still attempt it all too often.
In the early 70's when all I had was a little 110 welder that didn't do much I would tack pieces together with it and then take them up to my friend who welded them up right with his welder. We did a lot of work on my 48 that way and built my T bucket that way.

You usually gain and loose something on what ever way you do it.