Searching for locking wheel nut removal in the city usually means a wheel has to come off and the key is missing, broken or no longer grips. The nut is taken off at the car with tools made for it, and the alloy is protected while that is done.
Coventry is about 79 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.
Please do not try an ordinary socket or a hammered-on tool first. A nut that has been forced is harder to remove and more likely to mark the wheel. If someone has already tried, tell us on the call.
A missing key does not make the car unsafe to drive; it only matters when a wheel has to come off. If you are not in a hurry, look for the key's code in the car's paperwork, because a dealer may be able to supply a new key from it.
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. The A4053 ring road, the A45, the A46 and the M6 and M69 are all off limits while the car is on them.
Outside the ring road, a drive or a residential street in Earlsdon, Coundon, Allesley, Finham, Styvechale, Cheylesmore, Wyken, Binley, Tile Hill, Canley, Holbrooks or Radford is the easiest place for the fitter to work.
Hospital, university, station and retail car parks need the operator's permission: University Hospital at Walsgrave, the University of Warwick, Coventry University, West Orchards, Arena Park, Alvis Retail Park and Warwickshire Shopping Park among them.
From NW2 this is a long trip, so the diary decides. You hear yes or no on the call, and an arrival time if it is yes. Once the nut is out, standard nuts or a new locking set go on, and a tyre on that wheel can be sorted on the same visit.
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 | CV1, CV2, CV3, CV4, CV5, CV6 |
| Main roads | A4053 ring road, M6 J2 and J3, M69, A45, A46 |
| Areas | Earlsdon, Foleshill, Walsgrave, Tile Hill, Binley, Radford, Stoke, Wyken, Cheylesmore, Holbrooks, Longford, Canley, Coundon, Allesley, Finham, Styvechale, Bell Green, Whoberley |
| Distance from our base | About 79 miles |
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.
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
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:
Wheel balancing vs alignment: what's the difference?
Balancing and alignment are often confused but are two different jobs. Here's what each does, how to tell which you need, and when to have them done.
What to keep in the car for a tyre emergency
Most cars carry the wrong things for a puncture. Here is the short list that helps at the roadside, and what to check you have now.
Spare wheel maintenance and checks
The spare is the most forgotten tyre on the car, and often flat when you need it. Here's how to check and look after your spare, plus space-saver rules.
Tell us the make, model and registration, and whether you have the key code card. The price is given on the call.
