Well, here's how the "re-skinning" occurred:
I shopped price (and service) at three different tire stores (Bridgestone/Firestone; Costco, and Michel Tire).
Ultimately, I ended up at the same place I bought the Dueler Alenzas for the Highlander: Firestone.
I told the manager I wanted "H" rated Turanza Serenity tires. When I arrived for the appointment, he had "V" rated tires. He said he'd have to have the "H" rated tires shipped in from Bridgestone. What persuaded me to re-skin with the V tires was the total price.
Basically, I received new (no blems or seconds) tires, mounting, balancing, valve stem, and a road hazard guarantee for $122.50 per tire ($490 per set, pre-tax). I purchased the lifetime alignment for $139. With tax and the B.S. "shop supplies charge" of $9, I was out the door for about $681.
Costco had quoted me $551 for all of the above including tax, with no alignment.
The Firestone total price was about $140 less than they had quoted me on Sunday when I found the nail near the outside tread and realized it could not be patched. With two of the other three OEM MXV 4s at the wear-bars, I knew it was time to re-skin the Accord.
What was interesting was the rear alignment. It seems you can measure the angle but you cannot adjust the rear-end on the 2005 Accord. I believe the left side was at -1.4 degrees and the right at -1.7 degrees. That would account for the rear tires showing the wear bars at 31k miles. Obviously my mother-in-law rarely, if ever, rotated the tires in her five years/22k miles of ownership.
The tech said if the difference between the left and right rear angle was greater than -.5 degrees, I should purchase new aftermarket control arms for the rear that would allow them to adjust the rear alignment to "zero" degrees. This would aid in reducing premature tire wear (as would proper inflation and rotation).
The two Acura Integras we've owned were "adjustable" in the rear-end via shims. No such luck with the Accord.
