Damage to the side of a tyre is a different problem from a nail in the tread. A cut, a bulge, a split or exposed cord cannot be repaired, and the question that matters first is whether the car is safe to drive at all.
Handsworth is about 97 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.
If you are not sure, take a photo of the damage and one of the size marking and send them when you call. A photo lets us tell you honestly whether it looks like a replacement before anyone travels.
BS AU 159, the British Standard for tyre repairs, allows a repair only in the central part of the tread and only for small holes. Damage to the sidewall or the shoulder, a bulge, a split or exposed cord is outside what the standard allows, so the answer is a new tyre.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. If the car has run-flat tyres, tell us, because the replacement should match what the maker fitted.
A driveway, a residential street where the car can legally stand, or a private car park whose owner agrees. We will not work beside moving traffic on main roads such as the A41 Soho Road or Holyhead Road. The price is given on the call. The price is the same at any hour.
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:
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.
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall. A photo of the damage helps find the right replacement.
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.
“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
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.
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Get the car somewhere safe, send a photo of the damage and the size, and the new tyre comes to the car.
