- If the car will still move, carry on gently to the next exit or to Norton Canes services, which sit between T6 and T7. Do not stop at the toll plazas at Weeford or Great Wyrley, or at the exit booths.
- If you cannot reach an exit, stop on the hard shoulder as far to the left as you can, with the wheels turned to the left and the hazard lights on.
- Get out by the left-hand doors and keep everyone well away from the traffic, behind the barrier if there is one.
- Call your breakdown provider from that safe place. If anyone is in danger, call 999.
- Do not try to change the wheel yourself. The Highway Code tells drivers not to attempt even simple repairs on a motorway.
Mobile tyre fitting near the M6 Toll
If a tyre fails on the M6 Toll, get everyone safe first. We never work on the carriageway, the hard shoulder or the toll plazas. Once the car is off the road and parked somewhere legal, a fitter can change or repair the tyre where it stands.
Our only base is a tyres-only depot at Brent Cross, NW2, and the closest town listed for the road, Castle Bromwich, is about 92 miles from it in a straight line. We have no base or van stationed in the West Midlands. Call and we tell you straight away whether we can take the job and, if so, the arrival time.
Tyre help
If a tyre goes while you are on the toll road
The road is run by Midland Expressway Ltd rather than National Highways, so follow its signs and any instructions from its staff or the police. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Where we can work
Where a fitter can meet you once you are off
We need the car somewhere off the road where a fitter can park beside it and work safely: a side street where parking is allowed, a car park whose owner is happy for the work to be done, or the services if the operator allows it. Norton Canes is a Roadchef site, so that decision is theirs, not ours.
Leaving at the junction nearest your destination and stopping on an ordinary street is the simplest arrangement. Tell us exactly where the car is and which tyre is damaged.
On the road
Junctions and what they lead to
Norton Canes services (Roadchef) lie between T6 and T7.
| Junction | What it serves |
|---|---|
| T1 | Southern end, links with the M42 and M6 near Coleshill |
| T2 | A446 Sutton Coldfield, Coleshill, Dunton |
| T3 | A38 Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Weeford |
| T4 | A5 Lichfield, Tamworth, Brownhills at Wall |
| T5 | A5148 Lichfield (not every movement is available; check the signs) |
| T6 | A5 Burntwood, Brownhills |
| T7 | A5 and A34 Cannock, Great Wyrley, Walsall |
| T8 | Northern end, M6 J11a for Stafford and the north, A460 Cannock and Wolverhampton |
Where we can work
What we can do once the car is parked
The fitter can fit a new tyre, repair a puncture where the damage allows it, replace a burst or damaged tyre, and remove a locking wheel nut if the key is lost. BS AU 159, the British Standard for tyre repairs, sets the limits: the hole must be in the central part of the tread and no more than 6 mm across, and the tyre comes off the wheel so it can be checked from the inside. Damage in the sidewall or the shoulder means a new tyre.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, which matters more on a long trip like this one. Read the size off the tyre sidewall (it looks like 205/55 R16 91V), check whether the locking wheel nut key is in the car, and we can say on the call what is possible. Evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays are covered when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
Distance
Towns along the route and how far they are
The towns beside the road are a long trip for us as well. In straight-line miles from Brent Cross: Castle Bromwich about 92, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield about 96, Walsall and Lichfield about 102, Bloxwich about 104 and Cannock about 108.
For a tyre fitted at home or at work rather than help after a breakdown, a fitter based in the Midlands will be much closer than we are, and we will say so on the call.
Step by step
Calling us once the car is safe
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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
We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
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
Can you come to me on the hard shoulder?
No. We never work on the hard shoulder, the carriageway or a slip road. If the car will move, get off at the next exit or into the services. If it will not, wait behind the barrier and call your breakdown provider, or 999 if anyone is in danger.
Does a night or weekend job cost more?
No. The price is the same at any hour, on any day. It depends on the tyre, how many you need and whether a repair is possible, and you are told it on the call before the fitter sets off.
Is it safe to change a wheel on the hard shoulder?
No. The advice in the Highway Code is to keep well away from the vehicle and the traffic and not to attempt any repairs there.
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.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
How soon can the fitter get to me?
It depends on how far the car is from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on the jobs already booked. We give you an arrival time when you call.
Should I pull the nail out?
No. Leave it in, as it is often partly sealing the hole. Send a photo of where it sits instead.
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 order a new key instead?
Yes, if you have the code from the card, the box or the handbook. The dealer or the nut maker can supply one, which suits you if the car can wait.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
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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
Long motorway journey: tyre and safety checklist
Sustained motorway speed is hard on tyres. A pre-journey checklist: tread, laden pressures, the spare, towing loads and what to do if a tyre fails.
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.
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.
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.