A popular modification is to make the gear towers more accessable versus trying to work through the small lightning holes. There are several methods; cut a bigger hole, cut a bigger hole and put a cover plate on with flush screws, or replace the rivets with flush screws, I am going for the latter and copied Scott Chastain's modification on his RV-8 - see photo #1. I cut the web just below the top lightning hole at an angle to keep the rivet edge distance consistent. I then cut it at the bottom right at the weldment (light grey piece at the base of photo 2). I used tin snips which was right at the limit for the thickness of the material but it worked out pretty good. I didn't want to use a saw or something that removed too much material and left a gap between the 3 pieces. I cut both the left and right tower webs, worked the edges on the 3M wheel and with a seamer. I located the screw holes for the bottom of the cover (3 screws along the bottom and 3 along the top). Then I fabricated a doubler plate using trim stock supplied in the kit of the same thickness as the web (.030 I think). I then located and drilled the flush rivet holes for the doubler and match drilled to the lower section of the web. Then I match drilled the screw holes in the bottom of the cover with the doubler cleco'd to the bottom section of the web. Good progress for working "outside the plans." This will pay off down the road when I am wiring and plumbing stuff and maintenance.
Scott's modified gear towers - the holes are where the cover screws on.
If you look closely you can see the line where the cut was made at the top.
View from inside that shows the doubler I fab'd that attaches the lower web and the 'cover'.
