What the job includes
- Budget, mid-range and premium brands in your size
- Fitting and balancing at the car
- Valves checked and pressures set to the maker's figures
- Wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench
- The old tyres taken away
New tyres fitted in Luton
If your tyres are worn or damaged and you would rather not wait in a tyre bay, we fit new ones where the car is parked, at home or at work. Luton is about 23 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We give you an arrival time when you call.
New tyres
Booking from 23 miles away
We have more than one van, and a booked fitting on a day that suits you is the simplest to arrange. If you need tyres sooner, call and we will tell you whether the diary allows it; we do not promise a time until we have spoken.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, so booking ahead with your size gives us time to get the right tyre before the fitter sets off.
Where we can work
Where the car can be
A driveway or a street where the car is legally parked is fine, with level ground and room to work around the wheel. If it is in a permit bay or a pay-and-display space, tell us so the fitter can park legally nearby.
A workplace or retail car park is private ground, so the site owner has to agree before we can fit there. We do not fit tyres on the M1 carriageway: the car needs to be off the motorway, on a street or on private ground where the owner has given permission.
New tyres
What we need from you
On the day the fitter fits and balances each new tyre and tightens the wheel nuts to the maker's setting. Our tyres page, linked below, explains the sidewall markings, the load and speed ratings and the EU tyre label in full.
- The tyre size from the sidewall, and any XL (extra load) or run-flat marking. If it is hard to read, give us the registration and we can check the size the car came with, then confirm it with you.
- How many tyres you need, and whether you want budget, mid-range or premium.
- The exact address or spot where the car will be.
- The locking wheel nut key, if the car has locking nuts, left where the fitter can find it.
Pricing
Getting a price
The price depends on the size, the brand and how many tyres you need, and we confirm it on the call before anyone sets off. An evening or weekend fitting costs the same as a weekday one.
Tyre sizes
How to read the size on the sidewall
The size is moulded into the sidewall as a line such as 205/55 R16 91V. Reading it out on the call, or sending a photo of it on WhatsApp, is the most useful thing you can do before the fitter sets off.
What each part means:
- 205 is the width of the tyre in millimetres
- 55 is the profile: the sidewall height as a percentage of the width
- R means radial construction, and 16 is the wheel diameter in inches
- 91 is the load index, the weight each tyre can carry (91 means 615 kg)
- V is the speed rating, the highest speed the tyre is built for
Elsewhere on the sidewall, at the end of the DOT code, is a four-digit date code such as 2423, which means the tyre was made in the 24th week of 2023. Tyres age even when they are not used, so an old spare is worth checking before it is relied on.
Tyre types
Run-flat tyres
Many newer cars, especially some BMW and MINI models, leave the factory on run-flat tyres and carry no spare wheel. The sidewall says so, with a marking such as RSC, ROF, SSR, ZP or RFT depending on the maker.
A car built for run-flats should stay on run-flats, because it has no spare to fall back on and its suspension is set up for their stiffer sidewalls. Tell us on the call if the car has them, so the right tyre is sourced.
Step by step
From your call to the finished job
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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.
Before the visit
Getting the car ready
Leave the locking wheel nut key somewhere easy to find, such as the driver's seat or the glovebox, and tell us if the car will be at work rather than at home.
You do not need to stay with the car for the whole job, but someone needs to hand over the keys and agree the work. If the car is in a residents' bay or a work car park, check the fitter can park close to it.
Not quite your situation?
Tread and age
When a tyre needs replacing
Most tyres have small raised bars in the main grooves, called tread wear indicators. When the tread is worn level with them, the tyre is at the legal limit. A 20p coin is a rough check: if the outer band of the coin shows when it is pushed into the main grooves, the tread may be close to the limit.
Grip in the wet falls away well before the limit, so many drivers replace tyres at around 3 mm. Age matters too: cracking in the sidewall or between the tread blocks means the rubber is perishing, even on a tyre with plenty of tread left.
★★★★★
“I urgently needed to replace my tyres and the team were prompt, friendly and efficient at a great price.”
JIJisoo ImGoogle review
★★★★★
“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”
AMAdam MorrisGoogle review
★★★★★
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
LOLeo OduorGoogle review
Around the area
Neighbourhoods, roads and nearby towns
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.
Neighbourhoods and villages
- Bury Park
- Leagrave
- Stopsley
- Round Green
- Wigmore
- Limbury
- Marsh Farm
- Sundon Park
- Lewsey Farm
- Challney
- Farley Hill
- Stockwood
- Warden Hill
- Bramingham
- Park Town
- New Town
- High Town
Postcode districts
- LU1
- LU2
- LU3
- LU4
Main roads
- A6
- A505
- A1081
Landmarks
- Kenilworth Road
- Stockwood Park
The same service in nearby towns
Tyre types we fit
Questions
Questions and answers
How do I know when my tyres need replacing?
The legal minimum is 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way round. Cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewall also mean a tyre should be replaced.
Can the fitter work in a hospital, station or retail park car park?
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:
- Luton station
- Leagrave station
- University of Bedfordshire
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 new tyres go on the front or the rear?
When only two are replaced, the newer pair generally goes on the rear axle, which helps keep the car stable in the wet.
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 you fit tyres at my workplace?
Yes, if the site is happy for the work to be done there and there is room around the wheel. Tell us the address and where the car is parked on site.
Do new tyres come with a warranty?
New tyres carry the manufacturer's warranty against defects. It does not cover damage from punctures, kerbs or potholes.
What should I have ready when I call?
The tyre size from the sidewall, the registration and the exact location of the car. If the car has locking wheel nuts, have the key ready.
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.
Helpful guides
Tyre advice worth reading
The tyre label explained: grip, fuel and noise
Every new tyre carries a label grading fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise. Here's how to read each rating and use it to buy a safer, cheaper tyre.
The numbers on your tyre sidewall tell you everything needed to order the right tyre. Here's exactly what 205/55 R16 91V means, digit by digit.
Do you have to replace tyres in pairs?
You don't always need a pair, but matching tyres across an axle matters for safety. Here's the rule on replacing in pairs and why new tyres go on the rear.
All tyre help here
Every tyre service, done at the car
Call or WhatsApp us
Tell us where the car is
Send the size from the sidewall and where the car is parked, and the fitting is booked around you. Tell us what has happened and the make and model of the vehicle. The price is given on the call.