A key that has gone, a key that has snapped with part of it stuck in the pattern, or a nut chewed by the wrong tool: in NN15 and NN16 each one leaves the wheel stuck on until the locking nut is removed at the car.
Kettering is about 61 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.
A lost key leaves an undamaged nut with no way to turn it. A snapped or worn key can leave a piece stuck in the pattern. A nut that has been attacked with the wrong tool may be rounded. Each is removed with tools made for locking nuts, but knowing which it is, and seeing a photo, helps the fitter plan.
A missing key rarely stops a car being driven, so a booked day fits a trip of this length better than a call for right now. If a van is already out this way, there may be more room in the diary.
Afterwards, standard nuts or a new locking set go on, tightened to the maker's setting, and a tyre on that wheel can be repaired or replaced on the same visit.
The price depends on how many locking nuts need removing and whether you want standard nuts or a new locking set, plus any tyre work. It is confirmed on the call before anyone sets off, and it does not change in the evening or at the weekend.
Homes in Ise Lodge, Brambleside, Pipers Hill, Barton Seagrave and Burton Latimer mostly have a drive or a quiet road outside, and that is where the job is easiest; Rothwell, Cranford and Geddington are no different.
The General Hospital, the station, Newlands Shopping Centre, Wicksteed Park, the Northfield Avenue retail parks and the Telford Way, Pytchley Lodge and Furnace Lane industrial estates all have private car parks. Ask the owner first.
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, so the A14 between junctions 7 and 10, the A43 and the A6 are out while the car is on them.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Postcode districts | NN14, NN15, NN16 |
| Main roads | A14 J7 to J10, A43, A509, A6, A6003 |
| Distance from our base | About 61 miles |
Most cars with locking wheel nuts have one on each wheel, with a patterned head that only its matching key will turn. The key is a small socket that fits between the nut and the wheel brace. Without it the wheel cannot come off, so a lost or broken key turns a simple puncture into a bigger job.
Each key has a code, usually on a small card that came with the car or stamped on the key itself. With the code, a replacement key can often be ordered from a dealer or the lock maker, which is worth doing if the wheel does not need to come off urgently.
A nut can also be damaged: the pattern rounds off when the wrong tool or an impact gun is used, or the key snaps inside the nut. In those cases the key would not help even if it turned up, and the nut has to be removed.
Every wheel nut is tightened to the maker's setting with a torque wrench. It is good practice to have the nuts checked again after the first short drive following any wheel work, as alloy wheels can settle slightly.
If you want locking nuts again, a new set can be fitted later. Keep the new key in the glovebox and note the key code somewhere outside the car, such as on your phone, so a replacement key can be ordered if it goes missing.
Tell us whether the key is lost, broken or rounded off. A clear photo of one of the nuts helps.
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.
If the key turns up but does not fit, or it slips on the nut, stop rather than force it: a rounded nut is harder to remove.
The previous owner, or the dealer that sold the car, may still have the key or its code, so a call to them can be worth it if the wheel can wait.
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“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!”
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
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.
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:
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Tell us the make, model and registration, and whether you have the key code card. The price is given on the call.
