When a tyre has burst, been cut, has a bulge or has been driven flat, it cannot be repaired, so the job is a new tyre fitted where the car is safely parked. Urgent jobs are fitted in when the diary allows.
Smethwick is about 97 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2 (further by road). We have no base or van stationed nearby. Call and we will tell you straight away whether we can take the job; if we can, the arrival time is given on the call. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Postcode districts | B66, B67 |
| Main roads | A457 Oldbury Road and High Street, A4030 Bearwood Road, A456 Hagley Road, M5 J1 |
| Distance from our base | About 97 miles (straight line) |
We never work on the carriageway of a motorway or main road, on a hard shoulder, in a smart motorway emergency area or on a slip road. We cannot work beside traffic on a busy main road either; the car needs to be on a side street, a drive or private ground with the owner's permission.
The size is printed on the sidewall as a string such as 225/45 R17 94W: the width in millimetres, the sidewall height as a percentage of the width, R for radial, the wheel diameter in inches, then the load index and speed rating. If the damaged tyre is hard to read, use the one on the other side of the same axle, which should match.
Also tell us about any letters after the size: run-flat markings such as RSC, ROF, RFT or SSR, XL for a reinforced tyre, or a car maker's approval mark, such as a star for BMW or MO for Mercedes-Benz, so the new tyre can match.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, and we tell you on the call which applies to yours. Tyres on the same axle should be the same size and type. If the tyre on the other side is badly worn or a different pattern, the fitter tells you and you decide whether to replace both.
The price depends on the tyre size, the brand and the job, and we confirm it on the call before anyone sets off. We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
Have these ready when you call:
Many newer cars, especially some BMW and MINI models, leave the factory on run-flat tyres and carry no spare wheel. The sidewall says so, with a marking such as RSC, ROF, SSR, ZP or RFT depending on the maker.
A car built for run-flats should stay on run-flats, because it has no spare to fall back on and its suspension is set up for their stiffer sidewalls. Tell us on the call if the car has them, so the right tyre is sourced.
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall. A photo of the damage helps find the right replacement.
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
The fitter comes to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, raises the car on a jack and does the job beside it.
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
Cars and light vans need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.
For a car, each illegal tyre can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points; the maximum fine for a van is higher.
Push a 20p coin into the main grooves at several points around the tyre. If the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread may be close to the limit and should be measured properly.
A tyre is also illegal with a cut longer than 25 mm or a tenth of its section width, whichever is greater, that reaches the ply or cord, a lump or bulge, exposed cords, or the wrong size or type for the car.
The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019.
Rubber hardens and cracks with age even on a tyre that has done few miles, and many tyre makers advise replacing any tyre ten years old or more.
These are the neighbourhoods, postcode districts and main roads on record for this area. Whether we can take a particular job depends on the diary and the distance from our base, so the call always decides.
Yes, if the site allows it. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first. Places of this kind in this area include:
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Get the car somewhere safe, send a photo of the damage and the size, and the new tyre comes to the car. The price is given on the call.
