[rickst29]

You do not need to remove the wheel. On most alloy wheels, there are screws which allow for the installation and removal of the hubcaps. (Mine uses a couple of hex screws at opposite ends). With wheel like mine, you need merely remove the two screws which hold the hubcap in place - leaving the wheel and tire mounted.

Some other wheels (cheaper) depend on friction to hold the hubcap in: For these, you "wedgie" the hubcap up and off using a kitchen "butter knife" (use a cheap one, because it might end up a little bit bent afterwards. And after it's far enough up, maybe switch to a screwdriver). I don't know what sort of hubcap is present on the TM wheel, but I'll SWAG that's it's one of these two types.

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Some may disagree, but I feel that it is a good idea to buy "a few" new rubber seals, in case one of the old ones cracks while coming out, or going back in. Just four "spares" should be sufficient for 20 years, I think.

On my own TM, with the naked Torflex hub cover assembly (rubber seal + steel mounting ring) eventually became a bit loose, sliding "out" from the Torflex hub and alllowing a bit of leakage from underneath. This was probably a result of sunlight and weather exposure, plus considerable driving on nasty dirt roads. I had the basic wheel from my Model year, which left the Torlfex hub completely exposed. You might never have that problem, because your factory alloy wheels with hubcaps protect the parts from that exterior grime and sunlight damage.

Replacements for the entire assembly were less than $10 each from EBay. And of course, the rubber rings alone are much less, $2-3 each.