Kwik Fit Mobile Fitting Service – What’s in the Van?

Getting your tyres changed can be an inconvenience. If your tyres have become worn and need replacing, finding the time to take your car into the local garage for tyre fitting can take a chunk out of your day. Worse still, if you discover a puncture, you may not be able to even make it to your local garage.

In either case, if you are struggling to get to your local Kwik Fit centre then why not let us come to you? Using our mobile tyre fitting service, we can change your tyres at home (or at your workplace) at a time convenient for you. Kwik Fit has over 200 mobile tyre fitting vans across the UK equipped with all the tools needed to carry out mobile tyre changes – like a mini Kwik Fit centre on wheels!

So what’s in the van? We take a look at all the tools packed into the back of the mobile fitting van that make quick mobile fitting possible:

PDA - Personal Digital Assistant

Each mobile fitting van is equipped with a PDA which tells the fitter everything they need to know for the day ahead. The PDA informs the driver of the tyres they need to pick up and the location & description of each job. The mobile fitter currently selects the optimum route using their extensive local knowledge but there are plans to implement an automated system to further optimise journey planning and reduce carbon usage.

Tyre Changer

The tyre changer is the heart of the mobile fitting van. While these models are similar to the ones found in our centres, there is one key difference. Due to the reduced manoeuvrability in the back of the van, the tyre changer is fitted with an additional pneumatic assist arm (also known as a third arm or helper arm) which assists with the mounting/demounting of the tyre, supports the movement of the tyre within the restricted space and protects the tyre rim from damage. The helper arm makes easy work of changing more challenging tyres such as run flat tyres and low profile tyres.

Tyre Balancer

A wheel should always be rebalanced when the tyre is replaced to ensure it still rotates evenly. An incorrectly balanced wheel can lead to premature tyre wear, that’s why we have also crammed a wheel balancer into the mobile fitting van too. Mass needs to be distributed evenly across the wheel and the balancer allows the mobile fitter to spot even the tiniest of imbalances via a computer read-out. The mobile fitting van is also loaded with tyre weights in many sizes to enable the fitter to correctly balance the tyre.

Power to the fitter

The mobile van contains a secret weapon which powers many of the tools found in the van. A powerful compressor not only provides compressed air for tyre inflation but also powers a pair of 2,500 kilo airjacks and a torque gun to elevate the vehicle and remove/replace the wheel nuts respectively. The compressor enables the fitter to use pneumatic tools to change tyres quickly by the roadside and let the customer get on with their day.

The mobile fitting van is also packed with additional parts and manual tools to aid the fitter. These include a torque wrench and impact sockets to manually tighten wheel nuts, tyre levers to assist with the mounting of the new tyre to the rim, tyre plugs for repairing tyres where possible, and replacement valves, valve covers & wheel nuts. To ensure the safety of the fitter, the van also comes equipped with a fire extinguisher and traffic cones to ensure they are working at a safe distance from passing cars.

Not forgetting…tyres!

Last but by no means least, the all-important tyres. Our vans have storage space for up to 25 tyres located at the rear of the vehicle. We start the day with a van full of new tyres and as the day progresses they are slowly replaced with your old worn and punctured tyres which are then taken back to the depot to be recycled.

Our mobile fitting vans are fully equipped enabling us to provide a fast and efficient tyre change and tyre repair service by the roadside whether you are at home, at work or even on holiday. Find out more about our mobile tyre fitting service or book a mobile tyre fitting appointment today.