- If the car still steers, keep going gently with the hazard lights on and leave at the next junction.
- If it stops in a live lane, keep your seat belt on, leave the hazard lights on and call 999.
- If you can get out safely, use the left-hand door and stand well back from the traffic, behind a barrier if there is one.
- National Highways runs this road and takes breakdown and incident calls on 0300 123 5000.
Mobile tyre fitting near the A14
The stretch we list runs from the Catthorpe Interchange to Thrapston. It is a long way from us: the nearest part of this stretch, around J9 to J13, is about 58 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2 1LX; Kettering is about 61 and Corby about 66. We have no base or van stationed in Northamptonshire.
Call once the car is safely off the road 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.
Tyre help
A dual carriageway with live lanes throughout
From Catthorpe to Thrapston this is an all-purpose dual carriageway with no hard shoulder, and clearway rules apply along the whole route. If a tyre goes, there is nowhere on the main carriageway that is safe to wait or work.
These steps follow Highway Code rules 274 to 287. 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.
Where we can work
Off the road: where the car can be
Once you have left at a junction, the fitter needs the car on a side street where it is legally parked, in a car park whose owner allows the work, or at your home or workplace. Do not rely on finding a service area on this stretch; leave at the next junction and stop on a side street.
If you are already in Kettering, Corby, Desborough or Wellingborough with the car parked, the same applies: give us the postcode and we will tell you on the call whether we can come.
On the road
Junctions from Catthorpe to Thrapston
| Junction | Serves |
|---|---|
| Catthorpe Interchange | M1 J19, M6 J1, Rugby, Lutterworth |
| J2 (Kelmarsh) | A508 Northampton, Market Harborough |
| J3 (Rothwell) | A6 Rothwell, Desborough, Market Harborough |
| J7 (Kettering) | A43 Kettering, Corby, Northampton |
| J9 (Kettering, Wellingborough) | A509 Kettering, Wellingborough, Isham |
| J10 (Barton Seagrave) | A6 Kettering, Burton Latimer, Bedford |
| J12 (Islip) | A6116 Corby, Islip, Twywell |
| J13 (Thrapston) | A605 Thrapston, Oundle, Peterborough, A45 Raunds, Northampton |
Repair or replace
Repair, replacement and stuck locking nuts
A puncture is repairable only within BS AU 159: in the central part of the tread, no wider than 6 mm, and with the inside of the tyre checked once it is off the wheel. A tyre that is cut, bulging, split or has been driven flat is replaced at the car instead.
If the locking wheel nut key is lost or broken, tell us on the call. Removing locking wheel nuts is one of our services, and the fitter needs to know before setting off.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. The price depends on the repair or the tyre chosen and is agreed on the call, and it is the same whatever day you call. We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
Step by step
Calling us once the car is safe
→
Tell us what happened
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall.
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Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
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Work at the car
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.
Checked before the fitter leaves
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
By job
Each job in more detail
What each job involves, with a link to its own page for this road.
Tyre replacement at your car
The fitter brings the new tyre to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, fits it, balances the wheel and sets the pressure.
Tell us the size from the sidewall and we can talk through budget, mid-range and premium options for it.
- New tyre sourced in your size, load index and speed rating
- Old tyre off, new tyre on, wheel balanced and refitted
- Wheel nuts tightened to the maker's torque figure
Puncture repair
A nail or screw in the main tread can often be repaired. The fitter takes the tyre off the rim and looks at the inside before deciding, because a small hole can hide bigger damage.
Damage in the shoulder or the sidewall, or a tyre that has been driven flat, cannot be repaired safely, and you are told why before anything else is done.
- Tyre taken off the rim and inspected inside
- Repair considered only for small holes in the central tread area
- Wheel balanced and pressure set after the repair
Flat tyre help
A flat tyre does not always mean a new tyre. Whether it can be repaired depends on where the damage is and how far the car was driven flat.
If the spare is missing, flat or a space saver you would rather not rely on, the repair or the new tyre is brought to the car.
- The cause found with the tyre off the rim
- A repair if the damage allows it, or a new tyre if not
- Valve checked and pressure set before the wheel goes back on
Burst and damaged tyre replacement
A burst tyre, a bulge in the sidewall or a deep cut from a kerb or pothole cannot be repaired. The fitter replaces the tyre at the car and checks the wheel while the tyre is off.
Send a photo of the damage and the size on the sidewall so the right replacement can be found.
- Damaged tyre removed and the rim checked for bends or cracks
- Replacement matched to the size, load index and speed rating
- New tyre balanced on the wheel before it goes back on
Out-of-hours tyre fitting
Out of normal working hours, where the car waits matters more: somewhere lit, legally parked and away from passing traffic.
- The same repair-or-replace check as at any other time
- A new tyre fitted when the damage rules out a repair
- A lit, legal spot to work in, agreed on the call
Removing locking wheel nuts
Lost, broken or rounded key? The nuts are removed at the car with extraction sockets made for locking nuts.
Plain nuts or a new locking set go back on, and the tyre can be sorted on the same visit.
- Removal without the key, using sockets made for locking nuts
- Replacement nuts matched to the wheel's seat type and thread
- Tyre repaired or replaced on the same visit if needed
Pricing
How the price is worked out
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.
What goes into the price
- The tyre itself: size, load index, speed rating and whether it is a run-flat
- The tier you choose: budget, mid-range or premium
- The work: a repair, one new tyre or several, and any locking nut removal
- The location of the car
Staying safe
Staying safe until the job is done
While you wait for the fitter
- Stop somewhere off the main flow of traffic, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, put on a high-visibility vest.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier, on a pavement or well back from the road.
- If the tyre may still be repairable, say so before using a sealant can, and leave any nail or screw where it is.
- Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.
What to tell us from the roadside
- Which road you were on and the direction you were travelling
- The last junction you passed, or the number on a driver location sign if you can read one safely
- Where the car is now: the exit, the side street or the car park it was moved to
- The tyre size from the sidewall, and whether the car has locking wheel nuts
Road FAQs
Questions drivers ask about this road
What should I have ready when I call?
The junction you left at and the postcode or street where the car is now, the tyre size from the sidewall, the locking wheel nut key if the car has one, and a short description of the damage.
Is it worth calling you from this far away?
Call and ask. We will say plainly whether we can take the job. If we cannot, or if the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover is the better option.
Where is there no hard shoulder?
Whole length from the Catthorpe Interchange to Thrapston (all-purpose dual carriageway with no hard shoulder). On a stretch like that, keep going until you can leave the road or reach a lay-by, if the car can still be driven safely; call 999 if you are stuck in a live lane.
Where can a car not stop?
Live lanes throughout; the clearway rules apply along the whole route. If a tyre fails there, keep going until you are clear of it and off the road, if the car can still be driven safely.
Is a bulge in the sidewall dangerous?
Yes. A bulge means the internal cords have broken and the tyre can fail without warning. Do not drive on it further than you need to reach a safe place.
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Rescue Tyres is fully mobile and works from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, which is not open to walk-in customers. The fitter comes to the car.
Should I buy budget or premium tyres?
It depends on the car and how it is used. The tyre label's wet grip grade is a fair way to compare tyres in the same size.
My tyre keeps losing air slowly. Is it a puncture?
It may be, or it may be the valve or the seal between the tyre and the rim; the tyre has to come off to tell which.
Is there any way to save a burst tyre?
No. A burst or a split sidewall destroys the structure of the tyre, so it is always replaced.
Will locking nut removal damage my alloy wheels?
The method is chosen to avoid that. If an earlier attempt has already marked the wheel, the fitter points it out before starting.
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Tyres and the law
Tread depth, tyre age and the law
The legal tread limit
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.
The 20p test
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.
Other defects that make a tyre illegal
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.
How old is your tyre?
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.
Helpful guides
Tyre advice worth reading
A blowout at speed is frightening but survivable if you react correctly. Here's exactly what to do, why braking is dangerous, and how to prevent the next one.
Tyres for high-mileage and company-car drivers
If you cover serious miles, the right tyre saves real money. Here's how to choose for cost per mile and motorway safety, and keep a company car compliant.
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.
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
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.