Towing a damaged car from Thickthorn to a Coventry depot takes half a day; on the A46 the tyre machine, balancer and replacement drive to the car park instead, and the car stays put.
An A46 driver with a damaged tyre faces a choice: risk a space-saver on a 70 mph bypass, or wait for a tow to a garage in Coventry, Leamington or Stratford. Neither suits someone stranded in Alcester with a family, or a hospital worker at Walsgrave between shifts. The bypass has few garages close to its islands, so getting the car to one takes planning. A mobile fitting van brings the full workshop instead.
The Warwickshire van carries a tyre changer, wheel balancer, jack, torque wrench, plus tyres in the sizes Warwickshire cars commonly use. At the car park the wheel is removed, the tyre changed on the machine, the wheel balanced in the van and bolted back to torque. The car never moves under its own power on a damaged tyre. Share the size and a description of the ground, and the whole-job price is confirmed on the phone before we set out.
A flat space next to the car: Kenilworth town car parks, Binley retail park, University Hospital car parks, Maybird, Stratford Parkway or Alcester's car parks. Verges and island approaches on the A46 are not used. Cannot reach an island at all? Dial 999, then National Highways.
| Road | A46 Warwick, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon |
|---|---|
| Operator | National Highways |
About emergency mobile tyre fitting nationwide → · Emergency mobile tyre fitting on the A46 page
Space matters more than address. On the A46 corridor a good spot has a bay free beside the damaged wheel, a flat surface rather than a cambered edge, and nobody boxed in behind. The Binley retail park and Maybird car parks usually tick all three; hospital car parks at Walsgrave work if ambulance routes stay clear; private land needs its owner's agreement. With the workshop brought to the bay, the car stays put instead of limping round Tollbar End.
A tyre workshop that comes to your A46 car park. Call with the size.
