Lookie what I found in my tire

I was out doing some errands on Friday night and after leaving Sports Authority I heard a small thump followed by the tic-tic-tic of something in a tire. I could tell from the sound that it was something fairly large and when I got home I saw the head of what looked like a large nail in the middle of the tread of the left rear tire. I did move it a bit to see if it had gone all the way through and as soon as I heard air I pushed it back in and rotated it so it was on the bottom so the weight would help hold it in.

Based on the size I was pretty sure I was going to be out $450+ for a new tire. After a brief search for a tire shop I chose a place based on the Tire Rack web site. As it turns out it was about at the limit for a repair and an hour later I had a new stem patch for $30. Based on the size, shape and a bit of remaining plastic it looks like it's was an old tent spike.

Wow, it's amazing that something that long could rest at a steep enough angle to puncture the tire. I'm glad the plug was an option.

I think it has to do with the front tire running over it while it's still flat and standing it up long enough for the rear to hit it. From what I've read this mechanism is the reason rear tires receive more punctures than fronts. Although that may just be anectodal.

Similar thing happened to me this weekend. When I started the car, the car told me that I had a flat. Turns out that I had a screw in the right rear tire, about one inch from the outer edge. I'm hoping that this is repairable. Tire has only 7k on it. I hope the leak is slow enough that I can drive to Americas tire for them to repair it.