Gear tower hardware clearance issues

I'm assembling my gear towers and I can't get the nut onto two of the bolts, there is a conflict with the flange of the WD822 weldment. This is on both gear towers on the aft facing side.





The diagram shows the hardware should pass by the weldment, but I can't even start the threads on one with side with the washer on and the other I can get it on, but it'll cross thread if I force it.

It's the middle bolt on the lower left of the tower.

Is it ok to invert the hardware and put the nut on the outside? Will there be any clearance issues later if I do that?

Thanks

Aaron

Clearance

Try using a thin washer and a 364 nut ( thin nut ) .

Had the same issue with mine a couple weeks ago. I just removed some material from each weldment until I could get the nut in place, then touched the area up with primer. You only need to remove a tiny bit of material.

Flipping the bolts around is a good idea, in particular for those bolts whos nuts will interfere with your ability to get to the gear bolts later. Many before you have had to go back and flip these around in order to be able to service their gear bolts.

Picture of inverted nuts/bolts?

Do you have a picture of the inside of the gear tower showing where the gear bolt hardware conflict is? Or can you tell me which of the bolts I should flip?

I haven't torqued anything yet and I'd like to invert them now and save my self some time later.

N546RV said:

Had the same issue with mine a couple weeks ago. I just removed some material from each weldment until I could get the nut in place, then touched the area up with primer. You only need to remove a tiny bit of material.

Click to expand...

Did the bolt contact the weldment as well?



I could remove material or place a washer under the bolt head to shift it off the weldment as well. I'm leaning towards using an AN3-4A and a thin nut in this location. I have a strong(likely irrationally so) aversion to removing material from weldments.

I don't think the bolt contacted, but I'm not 100% sure. Here's a photo I took prior to fixing the interference; the bolt isn't making contact here, but it also doesn't appear to be inserted fully.



After removing material from the weldment:

Now just grind the side of the washer to clear the weldment and it will fit.

I ended up removing the interfering materials.

After trying a thin nut I still had the bolt touching the weldment. I tried placing a washer under the head of the bolt to pull it away and that got me close but the thin nut was still hitting the weldment as it started to tighten up.

I decided to remove the material, I think it's better than a collection of non standard hardware that I'll have to document and then refer to if/when I go to service the part.