I recently watched a video on Youtube showing how easily the ratchet type jack stands can suddenly fall, with potentially deadly results. I realize they shouldn't fall as long as there is weight on them, but as the video shows if the release lever gets bumped accidentally, failure is possible. Since I use mine frequently, and usually with no one else at home to call 911 in case of an accident, I modified all of mine by drilling some holes & inserting a 1/2 inch bolt thru them. I located the holes so the weight of the car is still on the ratchet, while the bolt serves as a safety. Each one took about 10 minutes on the drill press. It was a cheap & easy way to gain a little peace of mind. I know most of us Volvo guys probably crawl under their cars fairly often, so I thought this posting might possibly keep someone from getting hurt.

Good experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7_Aa8pbM7Y
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Keeping it running is better than buying new

I have always slid a spare tire under any jacked up car - you might get trapped, but at least you should not be crushed.

For repair work, I use old steel wheels to hold the car up with cribbing under them to get extra height - for a location with no wheel, I use a block of wood under the disc.

Two things would add some usefulness to this post.

Give a link to the video so we can also be impressed by the risk if it makes sense, and include a photo of your pin modification.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

“Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts.” --- Henry Rosovsky

Good piece of isafety info. I'll have to see video to understand, as my jackstands with weight on them cannot be released. On another note i usually use my trolley jack and a jack stand together so that they are both supporting the same area, belt and suspenders kind of thing.

p of m wrote--"i usually use my trolley jack and a jack stand together so that they are both supporting the same area, belt and suspenders kind of thing." I do hope you are saying that you sometimes use your trolley jack in ADDITION to the jack stand. Please, please, please do not ever get under a car supported by a jack only. No one is immune from a disaster when getting lazy about safety. Some years ago here on Long Island a vintage racer was crushed by his 1956 Jaguar when a jack collapsed. He'd been racing the car for decades and knew better. A senseless loss. -- Dave

Absolutely together. I thought the belt and suspenders comment would make that clear. If we are really going to clarify, trolley jack lifts, then I place jack stand, lower jack so tha stand is supporting all the weight, then raise the jack enough so it is supporting mayb a quarter of the weight. Enough to keep it in position but not enough to relieve the jack stand from its loaded stabilized state.