I hear you and understand, but understand my motivation: why am I doing this, like Everest, because it was there, not to accomplish any practical purpose....
Main focus is balanced weight distribution, passive, I don’t need to adjust or control it. (Actually, the main focus is on depression era mentality cheap). If there’s too much weight regularly on the ranger axle/frame while driving, it blows up. If there’s too much weight on the tag axle, I’d have to change the name from Rick’s Ranger Rig to “Jackknife!“
Vision/delusion is a low boy type trailer and hauling one of my collector cars. All just for fun, not for any practical purpose.
Right now I’m covered up with Lincolns. 87-88 town cars are almost 5,000 pounds at 18’ 4” and I imagine this trailer will be 1,500-1,700# from previous projects. My 78 mark V is 19’ 2” and about 5,500#. I sold all the Rolls, but I might get another, typical 6,000# for the Shadows and Spurs. So, 7,500- 8,000# overall. And again, no long distance hauling, just local fun stuff, but still completely safe and capable.
Hence a 20’ bed on a 25-27’ overall trailer (tongue to tail), plus ramps. Since (for no logical reason and no sense) I’d like it to look like a lowboy and not a typical tandem axle car hauler, I’ll be shifting the trailer axles back on that frame. Assuming the front trailer axle is 6-1/2 feet from the rear, tongue weight would be about 2,400-3,000#.
By “safely” (as if anything in this project is safe) adding another leaf spring to the ranger, I can bring the 1,250# Ranger load capacity up to around 1,800-2,000# without exploding the axle or rear end, and still having the Ranger axle softer than the tag axle. Then with a 2,750# trailer axle/spring set up for the tag axle, I’m easily over the estimated 2,400-3,000# tongue weight.
Another answer from a question not asked. Don’t assume I’m taking a piece of ranger frame and making that the pivoting extension. I’ll probably box or gusset the ranger frame around the Ranger axle and a little bit forward of that. The hinge plate/pivot extension will probably be 2x2x1/4 angle, positioned/doubled as necessary to handle the weight and action. I think I have to cut the frame just past the Ranger springs, and I may have to lose the last cross frame piece. I’ll replace and enhance the cross bracing by welding 3/4-1” black iron pipe between the frame channels, maybe 2/3 places. The pipe is only in tension or compression, no bending, plenty strong. Gas pipe is a highly underrated structural element. Cheap, too!
Again, no hotrodding, but this could do the cross country if driven wisely through the gears to not blow up the engine. Maybe a 302 if all this works out.
& you can see, “wisely” is my middle name....