It started with a puncture...

Couple of weeks ago, got a loud clicking noise just after leaving home. Turned out to be a largish metal object in a rear tyre. Looked to be the triangular blade from a paint stripping tool. Couldn't drive like that so pulled it out. To the sound of air escaping. No spare on this car, so used the sealer gunge in the toolkit, and the toolkit compressor. Which did work - tyre held pressure. Instructions said not to exceed 50 mph and get it fixed properly ASAP. So took it to KwikFit. They said a tyre with gunge in it can't be fixed. Quoted a silly amount for a new tyre. Never used sealer before, and Googling seemed to suggest it couldn't be fixed afterwards.

Decided to go mail order for the best new tyre price. Never done this before.

MyTyres had a decent price. They give a list of local tyre places that will fit them, and website said 'in stock' and 'fast delivery'. So bought them and paid by CC. To be delivered to Earlsfield Tyres, the one I picked from their list as being closest.

After a couple of days, checked their tracking. A problem of some sort - as they should have been on their way by then. Problem I was told was customs. So not in stock in the UK, and no clue as to when it would be sorted.

So cancelled the order. Got notice of a refund.

Ordered up from the specialist who services the car. Bit more expensive than mail order but much cheaper than KwikFit.

Just had an email from MyTyres saying they were delivered yesterday to a neighbour. At 0830 when I was in.

Thinking they had been delivered to Earlfield Tyres, I phoned them. Number not recognised. I'll check later today if they are still in business.

How hard can it be to replace a pair of rear tyres?

The mobile tyre fitters have got pretty good lately. The original chain was Etyres, but now Tyre-Shopper (National autocentres), Tyres on the Drive (Halfords) and some others are active, as well as local ones.

It's slightly more expensive than ordering to a tyre centre, but they come out to you so much less time consuming - no hanging around a draughty inconveniently-located garage waiting for them to do it. And you get to select from a good range of tyres, not just whatever your local place has in stock if you turn up out of the blue.

Theo

Not looking for a range of choices. Just the best value for the type/make I wanted.

I usually use Black Circles, and get them to send the tyres to a local tyre depot. Their prices are reasonable and their service is good. Last time I needed a tyre I checked the price at my local depot and found it was a few quid dearer than Black Circles. I persuaded them to supply the tyre, but at Black Circles price, on the basis that they would still make more on it than simply getting Black Circles' fitting fee.

I have heard claims that this sealing gunge can be removed allowing the tyre to be repaired in the usual way if it would ordinarily have been repairable, but I'm far from convinced. Far more likely that every puncture results in having to buy a new tyre. Why the hell has everyone given up on spare wheels? Most new cars don't even have room for a spacesaver - let alone any tools!

Doesn't everyone want that?

IMX if you go to a local tyre place they have a very limited selection in any given size - when I've done this it's typically budget tyres only. Which might be fine if you need to get back on the road asap, but you might wish to spend a bit more to get a tyre that's not graded F/F for grip and fuel efficiency.

The mobile tyre fitters are handy if you can get it home and then wait until they come out. Less good if you need it on the road today.

Theo

I've found my local independent will supply and fit anything - well, anything their supplier can get hold of. I got some quite unusual all season tyres last time - worked about about £10 a tyre more but worth it to me for the convenience/supporting small business etc.

It is nuts - my current car doesn't have a spare, just gunge.

I suppose it's partly down to very rare catastrophic punctures nowadays, combined with the weight and cost savings.

I was wondering whether it'd be worth phoning the breakdown people I'm with in the event of a puncture - do they carry emergency spare wheels?

Even before the advent of the "gunge" I believe a good percentage of call outs to breakdown services were for changing of wheels anyway - although I dare say that some of that was due to excessive torque used on the wheel nuts.

Either way, I am sure the breakdown services are used to it.

A quick google finds that The AA and RAC both have 5 stud "universal"

17" spares. RAC say they are developing a universal spare for smaller 4 stud cars. They fit them, you drive on and get your tyre fixed/replaced and leave the universal spare for collection from the tyre depot.

But before fitting any spare they will try a roadside repair by plugging the hole. I would expect that using gunge may stop that working.

What do they keep in stock? They can no doubt order things in, but if you turn up with a puncture you're stuck with what they have there and then (unless you can leave the car with them)

My former local one could source, but they seemed to operate entirely by phone. So you could go in, they had just the budget on the shelf, and then you had to ask them to talk you down the list of what they could get, and then what the price was and when they could get it, which they might not know and would have to ring up their supplier, etc. It was very painful unless you knew exactly what you wanted, and it was much easier to go somewhere with a website where you could see all that at a glance.

Theo

They keep what looks like very low stock. I just went in and asked for a particular tyre I'd chosen from reviews, and asked for their best price. A few minutes on the phone, price confirmed (I couldn't be bothered to haggle - as I say, about £40 more than the best internet price), and took a day or so to supply. Not a problem for me as I don't rely on a car for commuting etc.

I do trust them - the MOT had failed a tyre as unrepairable some years back. I took it to them to replace and it was simply a stone stuck in the tread - removed FOC. So for things like that and balancing, cleaning the rims I'd much rather use them anyway, and pay the extra.

Just an update. Won't be using my specialist again. The price they quoted by phone for a pair of tyres was somewhere between the KwikFit price and mail order (including fitting). So told them to go ahead. On picking the car up, seems the price they quoted was ex VAT. So some 50 quid more than KwikFit to me.

I suppose if it were some posh main dealer used to dealing with business owners, an ex VAT figure might be the norm. But this is a railway arches repair shop that doesn't even have a reception.

Changing the subject (just a bit)... it might be worth considering how much cost and inconvenience is involved in chucking out the space saver (for those blessed with them) and leaving a full sized wheel in its place.

I have a Ford Focus, and some time ago I clipped one of the rims quite badly, but not enough for it to deflate the tyre. Looking round on eBay for a replacement I found a pair of identical wheels for sale, both with usable tyres on them. I scrapped the damaged rim but managed to salvage the tyre.

Now the spare sits in the same well as the space saver, and the end result is just a bit of a lump in the carpet of the boot - and if I ever get a puncture then I have the option to change the wheel and sort out a gunge free repair.

Also, I am able to indulge in the age old habit of tyre rotation if I am in the mood

Not really an option on my car. It has different size tyres back and front. And they are enormous. And neither will fit in the boot - in the space originally provided for a space saver. Which they no longer supply. It would also about half the usable boot space which is only just about adequate at the moment.

I should have left the car where the puncture happened which was quite close to home. Walked back and got a jack and removed the wheel and then take it to a repair place. But I wasn't sure such a large cut in the tread could be fixed anyway - even although the leak probably could have been.

You need these :)

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