Locking wheel nut removal at the car once you are safely off the motorway, with any tyre repair or replacement done in the same visit. Our only base is at Brent Cross, NW2, about 94 miles away in a straight line. 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 locking wheel nut key is lost or the nut is damaged, the wheel cannot come off with normal tools. We remove the locking nut at the car with specialist removal tools, taking care to protect the alloy, then refit the wheel with a standard wheel nut so it can be removed in future.
If the tyre also needs a repair or a new tyre, tell us on the call so it can be done in the same visit. Before booking, check the glovebox, the boot and the spare wheel well for the key. A locking wheel nut is a security device, so we may ask for proof that the car is yours or in your care.
When the car is parked somewhere safe and legal, such as a side street near the exit or a car park where the owner allows it, we can come to it. Tell us which junction you left at and where the car is now.
| Road | M5 West Bromwich to Droitwich |
|---|---|
| Operator | National Highways |
| Service areas | Frankley services |
This page covers the motorway from junction 1 (West Bromwich) to junction 5 (Droitwich). At its nearest point on this section, the M5 is about 94 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We have no base or van stationed nearby. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Locking wheel nuts stop thieves taking the wheels, which also means a lost or damaged key leaves you unable to change a tyre. Removal is careful work: the wrong tool can scar an alloy or damage the wheel stud.
Hammering on a cheap socket, using grips or chiselling the collar tends to round the nut further and can mark the wheel or damage the stud.
If a tool will not grip cleanly, stop. A half-rounded nut is harder to extract than an untouched one.
Most locking sets come with a code, on a card, on the box they came in or recorded in the handbook. With that code a replacement can be ordered from the dealer or the nut maker.
Ordering one suits you if the car can wait. With a flat tyre today, removal is the practical route.
If you want to keep wheel security, a new locking set comes with its own key and code card.
Keep that key in the car and the code somewhere separate, such as a photo on your phone.
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.
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
There is no fixed figure that suits every car, so the price is built from a few things and told to you before you decide.
The price is given on the call. The price is the same at any hour. Asking for a price does not commit you to anything.
When you compare prices, compare like with like: the same brand and pattern, the same load index and speed rating, and whether balancing and a new valve are part of the job.
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.
If a tyre fails on a motorway, leave at the next exit or pull into a service area if the car can still be driven safely. If you have to stop, use the hard shoulder or an emergency area, get everyone out by the left-hand doors, wait behind the barrier and do not try a repair yourself. If you are stuck in a live lane, stay in the car with your seat belt on and call 999. 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.
National Highways runs this road. Its contact centre is on 0300 123 5000; in an emergency, call 999.
The road's junction list and the full Highway Code steps are on its main page, under Related pages below.
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.
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 a tyre fitter checks during a fitting
A good tyre fitting is more than swapping rubber. Here's what a proper fitter checks, from the wheel and valve to balancing and torque, and why it matters.
Tell us the make, model and registration, and whether you have the key code card.
