Hardness
A grade 5 hardness bolt is a bolt made of medium carbon steel and depending on the manufacturer can either be or not heat treated.
10.9 on a metric bolt indicates the hardness (or load, tensile strength, and hardness) of the bolt. This is almost as high as they get and is about the equivalent to a grade 8 SAE or USS bolt. 8.8 is also a common metric hardness.
The Rockwell C Hardness for a grade 10.9 fastener is 32 - 39HRC or 320 - 380Hv10
A bolt.
SAE sets standard sizes and grades for bolts.Size and Grade are different:Size is set By the SAE (society of Automotive engineer's) and is stated as thickness followed by thread pitch followed by length 1/4 x 24 (threads per inch) x 1 1/14 (inches long) Grade Is a statement of strength and hardness. Most auto hardware tends to be grade 5 and some high strength stuff is grade 8 or grade 12
Grade 10.9 bolts or capscrews have a minimum tensile strength of 1040N/mm2 and a hardness of 320 - 380Hv10. Grade 12.9 bolts or capscrews have a minimum tensile strength of 1220N/mm2 and a hardness of 385 - 435Hv10. The 12.9 fastener is therefore a higher grade (hardness and tensile strength) fastener compared with 10.9 grade
he diameter of the bolt.
a grade 8 bolt is stronger, about twice as strong.
If there are lines coming inward from the outside on the head then this is an SAE bolt, not metric. If there are three of these lines than it is a grade five bolt.
It's a measure of the strength of the bolt. The strength is measured using what's called a grade. In this case, you have a grade 8 bolt. The higher the number, the stronger the bolt.
A grade 5 hex bolt has 3 radial lines formed into the top of the head. Bolt manufacturers can provide listings of bolt markings and their corresponding strength ratings.