Rescue Tyres fits, repairs and replaces car and van tyres at the car: on a driveway, a side street or a car park where the owner allows it. Corby is about 66 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. NN17, NN18: Kingswood, Danesholme, Lodge Park, Oakley Vale
Puncture, blowout or worn tyres? We come to the car.
A job this far from our base is a long trip for one of our vans, so whether we can take it depends on the diary that day. We would rather tell you no on the first call than keep you waiting, so you can ring someone closer straight away.
Which Corby jobs we can usually plan for
A trip of more than sixty miles takes up a large part of a working day for one van, so whether we can come depends on what is already booked. Planned work suits the distance best: a set of worn tyres, tyres fitted at home on the drive, or a slow puncture that still holds air after topping up can be booked ahead and fitted around a trip this long.
A car that cannot move at all, or one stopped somewhere unsafe, is a different matter. We tell you on the call whether we can take it, and if we cannot, your breakdown cover is the better first call.
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
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
A vibration through the steering wheel at a steady speed is often a wheel out of balance. Balancing spins the wheel and adds small weights to even it out.
A wheel is balanced each time a new tyre is fitted to it, and it can be done on its own when a weight has come off.
Wheel removed and spun on a balancer
Weights fitted to the rim to even out the balance
Wheel back on with the nuts torqued to the maker's figure
We fit tyres only. We do not sell part-worn tyres and we do not do batteries, brakes or wheel alignment.
Worth knowing
Tyre know-how before you call
New tyres
New tyres fitted where the car is parked
Reading the size on your sidewall
The size is the string of figures on the tyre wall, such as 205/55 R16 91V. The first number is the width in millimetres, the second is the sidewall height as a percentage of that width, R means radial construction and the last number is the rim diameter in inches.
The part after the size, 91V in that example, is the load index and speed rating. A replacement should match or exceed both, and the two tyres on one axle should be the same size and pattern.
Budget, mid-range or premium
Tyres fall roughly into three tiers. Premium brands usually stop shorter in the wet and often last longer; budget tyres cost less up front but vary more in quality.
The label on most new car tyres grades wet grip, fuel efficiency and outside noise, which is a fairer guide than the brand name alone. For a car doing high mileage or plenty of motorway driving, look at the wet grip grade first.
Puncture repair
How a puncture is judged and repaired
What BS AU 159 allows
BS AU 159 is the British Standard for repairing car and van tyres. For car tyres it allows a repair only in the central part of the tread, known as the minor repair area, and only for damage up to 6 mm across. How wide that area is depends on the tyre.
Anything in the outer shoulder or the sidewall is outside the repair zone, because those parts flex too much for a patch to hold. Two repairs too close together, or an earlier poor repair, also rule a repair out.
Nails and screws in the tread
If you can see a nail or screw in the tread, leave it where it is. It is often partly sealing the hole, and pulling it out can turn a slow leak into a flat.
Take a photo of where it sits and send it on WhatsApp. Its position across the tread says a lot about whether a repair is likely.
Roads nearby
If a tyre fails on the A43 or the A14
The main roads around the town include the A43 past Weldon and Stanion towards the Eurohub roundabout, the A6003, the A6116, the A6014, and the A14 at junctions 7 and 8.
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. If the car can still be driven slowly and safely, leave at the next exit and stop in a side road or a car park away from the traffic. The A14 is a trunk road run by National Highways, whose number is 0300 123 5000; call 999 if anyone is in danger.
Where we can work
Station, shopping centre and business park car parks
Places such as Corby station, Willow Place, the Earlstrees industrial estate, Phoenix Parkway, the Eurohub site and Centrix Business Park near Weldon are private ground. The fitter can work there only if the owner or operator agrees, so check with the site office or security before we set off and tell us which row or bay the car is in.
A car park with a height barrier may not take the van, and a tight space may mean the car needs moving a few yards first. If the car has locking wheel nuts, have the key ready. Keep it with you rather than leaving it in an unattended car at the station or on a business park.
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
PNPegah NourmandGoogle review
★★★★★
“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”
AMAdam MorrisGoogle review
★★★★★
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
BCBen CorrieGoogle review
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
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.
Sources: the tread and tyre rules are in the Highway Code, annex 6 on GOV.UK; TyreSafe publishes tyre safety advice.
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.
Tyre failure on a motorway
If the car can still be driven safely, carry on to the next exit or services and stop away from traffic before you call.
If you cannot leave, use an emergency area or the hard shoulder, stop well to the left and, if it is safe to, get out on the side away from the traffic.
Wait behind the barrier, not in the car. Rule 277 of the Highway Code says not to attempt any repairs on your vehicle on a motorway.
Call 999 if you are in danger or stuck in a live lane. Otherwise National Highways can be reached on 0300 123 5000.
Corby FAQs
Questions drivers ask
Will you come this far just to fix one puncture?
Sometimes. It depends on the diary that day.
Can you fit tyres on my drive in Kingswood or Danesholme?
Yes, if the drive is firm and level and we can take the job. A booked visit to a car parked at home is the kind of job that suits the distance best.
Which main roads near here can the fitter not work on?
If the car stops on one of the roads below and can still be driven safely, leave at the next exit or turn into a side street, then call:
A43
A6003
A6116
A6014
A14 J7 and J8
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Our base at Brent Cross holds tyres only and is not a walk-in garage. Every fitting and repair is done at the car.
Can you fit tyres at my workplace?
Yes, if the car is parked legally on the street, or in a car park where the owner or site manager allows the work. Tell us where the car is.
Can I mix tyre brands on my car?
Yes, but keep the same brand and pattern across one axle, so the car brakes and corners evenly.
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.
Can a tyre with sealant in it be repaired?
Sometimes, but not always, as some sealants leave the inside of the tyre unfit for a repair.
Can I claim for pothole damage?
You may be able to claim from the council or the authority that looks after the road. Note the location, photograph the pothole and the tyre, and keep the receipt.
What goes back on after removal?
Standard nuts matched to the wheel, or a new locking set if you prefer.
Around Corby
Kingswood, Priors Hall Park and the villages
The area takes in Kingswood, Danesholme, Lodge Park, Oakley Vale, Priors Hall Park, Beanfield and Snatchill, the villages of Weldon, Stanion, Great Oakley and Gretton, and Oundle further east on the A427.
On the newer estates such as Priors Hall Park and Oakley Vale, give us the full postcode, the house number and the nearest through road, in case the street is newer than the van's maps. The distance from Brent Cross is much the same for all of them, so the call tells you whether we can come and when.
Area map
See the area on a map.
Rescue Tyres is a mobile service run from one base at Brent Cross, London NW2. The map shows the Corby area so you can check where your car is: it is not an address of ours.
Tyres are one of the most common MOT failures. Here are the exact tyre checks an MOT covers, the faults that catch people out, and how to pass first time.
Call to check we can take the job
Need a tyre fitter in Corby? Call now.
Tell us where the car is, the tyre size and what has happened, and the options are explained on the call.