Frequently asked questions

Every size is moulded into the sidewall as one string — 225/45 R17 94Y, for example. The 225 is the width in millimetres, 45 is the sidewall height as a percentage of that width, R17 is the rim diameter in inches, and 94Y is the load index and speed rating. Match the whole string when you replace a tyre. Our plain-English guide to reading tyre size walks through each part.

They are the final marks in the size — the 94Y in 225/45 R17 94Y. The load index is the maximum weight one tyre can carry: 94 corresponds to 670 kg. The speed rating letter is the top sustained speed the tyre is built for — Y covers up to 186 mph. Always fit tyres that meet or exceed the figures in your vehicle handbook; the tyre size guide includes the full tables.

Enter your number plate on the vehicle lookup page — current, prefix, suffix and dateless UK formats are all recognised. LCDrive identifies the vehicle, confirms its MOT and tax status, and returns the tyre sizes it left the factory on. One tap then opens the shop pre-filtered to each axle's size, with staggered front and rear fitments handled separately.

A staggered fitment pairs wider tyres on the rear axle with narrower ones on the front — common on rear-wheel-drive and performance cars, where the driven wheels carry more of the work. Because the axles take different sizes, check both sidewalls rather than assuming they match. The registration lookup shows each axle separately, and worn tyres should be replaced in matched pairs across an axle.

All of the UK — every postcode in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We come to your home, work or the roadside, 24/7, and in an emergency a unit is dispatched within 30 minutes. You can check your postcode in seconds.

Every price on LCDrive includes the tyre, fitting, balancing and old-tyre disposal — the figure on the product page is the figure you pay, with no fitting fee added at checkout. Tyres are never posted, so there is no delivery charge within the UK: an LCDrive fitter brings your tyres to a time and place that suit you, fits them and takes the old ones away. Online card payment is in test mode — no card is charged. Bookings are confirmed by phone or WhatsApp, and the price you are shown is still the full all-in figure. The full policy is set out on the delivery and fitting page.

You can cancel an unfitted order within 14 days, for any reason, for a full refund. Because tyres are never posted to you, there is nothing to package up and nothing to send back — cancelling the order is the whole process. Online card payment is in test mode — no card is charged; bookings are confirmed by phone or WhatsApp, so today the 14-day window applies to those phone and WhatsApp bookings. Once tyres are fitted the 14-day window no longer applies, though your statutory rights under UK consumer law continue in full. The detail is on the returns and cancellations page.

The business is real — our mobile tyre fitting, recovery, locking-nut and TPMS services are live. The online shop catalogue and prices are sample data while our price feed connects; book by phone or WhatsApp for a real quote. The terms page carries the disclaimer, and no listing is a genuine offer to sell. Everything else — search, label comparison, the fully fitted pricing model — works exactly as it would in production. Read more about what LCDrive is.

Online card payment is in test mode — no card is charged. Bookings are confirmed by phone or WhatsApp: send your registration or tyre size and your postcode and we come straight back with a time. The price you are shown is the full all-in figure — tyre, fitting, balancing and old-tyre disposal, with nothing added later. The delivery and fitting page sets out the detail.

When you book, we confirm the time window that suits you and where to meet — your home, work or the roadside. A mobile fitter comes to you, fits your tyres on the spot, balances them and takes the old ones away. We confirm how long to allow when we agree the appointment, so you know what to expect before we arrive.

You pay by card over the phone, or on the day when we confirm your booking. There is no deposit to book — you settle up once the work is agreed.

We fit new tyres only, so you always know the exact age, condition and remaining tread of every tyre we put on your car.

Yes — every tyre we fit is covered by a 6-month guarantee. If a problem develops within that window, get in touch and we will put it right. The guarantee sits alongside your statutory rights under UK consumer law, which continue in full.

We operate 24/7, 365 days a year — nights, weekends and holidays included — and once an emergency is confirmed a team is dispatched within 30 minutes. The fastest route to help is the emergency page, or call us directly, day or night.

Yes — quotes, general queries and invoices are all handled on WhatsApp. Message us on wa.me/447904781880 with your registration or tyre size and we will come straight back to you.

You are not stuck — we remove locking wheel nuts without the key. Seized, rounded or key-less nuts of any pattern are extracted with the correct tooling, without damaging the wheel, and we can supply a fresh keyed set so it never happens again. The locking wheel nut removal service covers the detail.

Three grades, shown side by side on every tyre LCDrive lists: fuel efficiency from A to E, wet grip from A to E, and exterior noise in decibels with a class from A to C. A tyre that excels in one grade may give ground in another, so the label puts the trade-offs in front of you before you choose. Our EU tyre label guide explains how each grade is measured.

The legal minimum for cars in the UK is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the tyre's full circumference. Driving below it risks a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre. Wet grip fades long before the limit, which is why replacing at around 3 mm is widely recommended. The UK tread depth law guide shows how to check your own tread at home.

No UK law requires them — the working guidance is temperature. Below about 7 °C, the compound in a summer tyre begins to harden and braking distances stretch, while a winter compound stays supple and keeps its grip. In practice that means fitting winter tyres as autumn temperatures fall and swapping back in spring. Our seasonal tyre comparison weighs the options, or browse winter tyres by size.

Treat mixing as a last resort. Tyre and vehicle manufacturers generally advise against running run-flats and conventional tyres together, because the two behave differently when deflated and can alter how a car handles — and the two types should never be mixed across a single axle. Follow your vehicle handbook: many cars designed for run-flats carry no spare. Our run-flat tyre range explains how the technology works and is browsable by size.

Replace tyres when they are worn to the legal limit, when they are damaged, or when age catches up with them — whichever comes first. UK law sets no retirement age for car tyres, but rubber hardens over time, and manufacturers commonly advise a professional inspection from five years and replacement by ten regardless of tread. The sidewall tells you the age: the last four digits of the DOT code are the week and year of manufacture.