to clarify this misunderstanding, I corrected your view that the steel belt was part of the reinforcement it is part of the
construction.., and you
rightly pointed out that extra plies is. Then I just embelished that with some info on heat..
regarding the tyre companies that you have had dealings with, there again is a misunderstanding , you were describing tyre fitters , whereas I was describing
manufacturers of which I worked for 20 years building Van tyres.
However to comment on your mothers experience a fully qualified fitter will identify bulges and hollows which are a precurser to tyre failure, as the carcass of the tyre has been compromised. sometimes this can only be felt by experienced fitters. they may describe that as "out of shape"
Having been trained in this skill I can honestly say it's not always visible to the eye.
My comments were not aimed at you personaly I too am a safety conscious lad, but there are many who read these posts about tyres have no idea how foolish it is to ignore specifications
May I commend you for spreading the word of common sense
kev
AGG 2.0L 8V. (Golf GTi MkIII)