From Penge and Anerley out to Biggin Hill, the borough is a big one, and a missing locking nut key stops a tyre job in any corner of it. The fitter takes the locking nut off where the car is parked, working to keep the alloy unmarked.
Bromley is about 16 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We give you an arrival time when you call.
If only the key is lost and you have the code, a replacement key from the maker or a dealer may be the cheaper route for a car that is not needed in a hurry.
If the pattern on the key or the nut is worn or damaged, a new key will not help and the nut has to come off. The same goes for a flat that cannot be changed today.
Houses with driveways and quiet residential roads in Petts Wood, West Wickham, Hayes, Bickley, Shortlands, Farnborough, Elmers End or Chislehurst give the fitter room at each wheel.
If the car is in a controlled parking zone permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it.
We cannot stop or work on a red route; the car needs to be on a side street or private ground first.
The Glades, Nugent Shopping Park, the Princess Royal University Hospital at Farnborough and the car parks at Bromley South, Orpington and Beckenham Junction stations all belong to someone, so their permission comes first.
After removal you can choose standard nuts, or a new locking set with its own key. If you go for a new set, keep the key somewhere you will find it and note its code away from the car.
The price depends on how many locking nuts need removing and whether you want standard nuts or a new locking set, plus any tyre work. It is confirmed on the call before anyone sets off, and it does not change in the evening or at the weekend.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Postcode districts | BR1 to BR7, SE20, TN16 |
| Main roads | A21, A232 Croydon Road, A20 Sidcup Road, A222, A214 |
| Areas | Beckenham, Orpington, Petts Wood, Chislehurst, West Wickham, Hayes, Penge, Anerley, Biggin Hill, St Mary Cray, St Pauls Cray, Bickley, Shortlands, Farnborough, Elmers End |
Most cars with locking wheel nuts have one on each wheel, with a patterned head that only its matching key will turn. The key is a small socket that fits between the nut and the wheel brace. Without it the wheel cannot come off, so a lost or broken key turns a simple puncture into a bigger job.
Each key has a code, usually on a small card that came with the car or stamped on the key itself. With the code, a replacement key can often be ordered from a dealer or the lock maker, which is worth doing if the wheel does not need to come off urgently.
A nut can also be damaged: the pattern rounds off when the wrong tool or an impact gun is used, or the key snaps inside the nut. In those cases the key would not help even if it turned up, and the nut has to be removed.
Every wheel nut is tightened to the maker's setting with a torque wrench. It is good practice to have the nuts checked again after the first short drive following any wheel work, as alloy wheels can settle slightly.
If you want locking nuts again, a new set can be fitted later. Keep the new key in the glovebox and note the key code somewhere outside the car, such as on your phone, so a replacement key can be ordered if it goes missing.
Tell us whether the key is lost, broken or rounded off. A clear photo of one of the nuts helps.
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.
If the key turns up but does not fit, or it slips on the nut, stop rather than force it: a rounded nut is harder to remove.
The previous owner, or the dealer that sold the car, may still have the key or its code, so a call to them can be worth it if the wheel can wait.
“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”
“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!”
“Quick, helpful and very understanding of our situation.”
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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Tell us the make, model and registration, and whether you have the key code card. The price is given on the call.
