Nut Types

• Standard nuts are first classified according by use. Acorn, anchor, cage, castle, coupling, cylinder, finger, flange, hex, jam, kep, lock, nylon insert, pallet, push, round, self-clenching, speed, square, T, U-type, washer, weld and wing are all types of nuts.
  
  

Nut Characteristics

• Each nut has a set of characteristics that identify it. Those characteristic include type of metal, direction of thread, length of the nut, diameter of the thread channel, size and turn of the threads, diameter and height of the head, style of the head, whether it is SAE or metric and by its finish.
  
  

Bolt Types

• Bolts are also classified by use. Use specifications include anchor, carriage, elevator, flange, hanger, hexagon, lag, machine, plow, sex (yes, it's a bolt), shoulder, square, structural, stud, T-head, toggle and U-bolts.
  
  

Bolt Characteristics

• Again, the use does not specify the characteristics of the individual bolt. Specific characteristics for bolts include bolt diameter, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) or metric, length, material, head-fitting, head diameter and height, thread size and turn, radius, shank length and run out.