Nope,you don't have to pull the wheel....unscrew the two screws holding the fender innerliner at the front of the wheelwell,don't remember if the XR7 has ground effects but SC's also have a couple of screws that hold the lower valance on the passenger side,loosen them if you have them....remove the three screws holding the airbox in place and pull the silencer out.....takes maybe 10-20 minutes.You just have more room to work if you pull the wheel.
z