A Northfield van that sits on a West Heath drive overnight and heads out down the A38 each morning needs load-rated tyres fitted where it is parked, not a day off the road.
Plenty of trades and delivery drivers in B31 keep the van at home, on a drive in Turves Green or Allens Cross, or on the kerb of a side street off Bristol Road South. The working route usually starts on the A38, north to Selly Oak and the city or south to Longbridge and the M5 at Lydiate Ash. A tyre that has worn down, picked up a screw or split a sidewall means the van cannot leave until it is sorted.
Van tyres are not car tyres in a bigger size. On a B31 van the sidewall usually reads something like 215/65 R16C, that closing C meaning it is built for commercial loads, and the load index often appears as a pair: the lower figure covers one wheel each side at the back, the higher one a twin-wheel axle. The Northfield replacement has to match or beat the old tyre and the plate inside the door. Read both off and the price is quoted before booking.
A level drive in Allens Cross, Turves Green or up towards West Heath, a wide kerb on a quiet street near Victoria Common, or a bay at Northfield Shopping Centre with space beside the van. Never on the A38 bus lanes or on a verge.
| Postcodes | B31 |
|---|---|
| Typical arrival | A long run from London: allow 2 to 3 hours |
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A loaded van is a heavier lift than a hatchback, so the fitter uses a jack rated for it and needs a firm, level surface, ideally with some of the load taken out first. Soft ground or a sloping drive near Bell Hill will not do. Electric vans are heavier again for their size, which makes the replacement's load figure non-negotiable, and many drivers choose a lower noise figure shown on the tyre label.
Van on a Northfield drive with a tyre problem? Load-rated tyres fitted before the round begins.
