M30×3.5 Thread Dimensions and Tap Drill

M30×3.5 is the ISO metric coarse thread for 30 mm fasteners, which is why it is usually written simply as M30. It has a 60° profile with a pitch of 3.5 mm (7.3 threads per inch). ISO 261 lists M30 as a first-choice diameter. Fine-pitch versions of the same diameter are M30×2, M30×1.5 and M30×1.

Thread profile

major Ø30 mm10 threads = 35 mm
M30×3.5 drawn to scale: 20 threads in 68.7 mm of length.
60°Nut (internal thread)Bolt (external thread)P = 3.5 mmmajor Ø d30.000 mmpitch Ø d227.727 mmminor Ø D126.211 mm5H/8 = 1.894 mmthread axis
Basic profile with the M30×3.5 dimensions. The nut and bolt share the same pitch diameter.

M30×3.5 basic dimensions

Dimensionmmin
Major diameter d = D30.0001.1811
Pitch P3.5000.1378
Pitch diameter d2 = D227.7271.0916
Minor diameter, internal thread D126.2111.0319
Minor diameter, external thread d325.7061.0120
Height of fundamental triangle H3.0310.1193
Thread height, internal (5H/8)1.8940.0746
Thread height, external (17H/24)2.1470.0845
Crest flat of external thread (P/8)0.4380.0172
Crest flat of internal thread (P/4)0.8750.0344
PropertyValue
Threads per inch7.26
Flank angle60° (30° each side)
Lead angle at the pitch diameter2.30°
Tensile stress area As561 mm² (0.870 in²)

Basic (nominal) sizes per ISO 724, before tolerances. d3 is the root diameter of a bolt with the rounded root that ISO 898-1 uses for the stress area.

M30×3.5 tolerance limits (6g bolt, 6H nut)

6g and 6H are the general-purpose tolerance classes for commercial screws and nuts. The 6g screw has a fundamental deviation of 53 µm, so even at its largest it sits 0.053 mm below the basic size and leaves room for a thin plating.

External thread 6gMax (mm)Min (mm)Tolerance (mm)
Major diameter d29.94729.5220.425
Pitch diameter d227.67427.4620.212
Internal thread 6HMax (mm)Min (mm)Tolerance (mm)
Minor diameter D126.77126.2110.560
Pitch diameter D228.00727.7270.280

Computed from the ISO 965-1 deviations and tolerances for normal length of engagement; the results match the limits tabulated in ISO 965-2.

M30×3.5 tap drill size

Tap drill for M30×3.5: 26.5 mm

This leaves about 77% thread in the tapped hole.

The rule for metric tap drills is diameter minus pitch: 30 − 3.5 = 26.5 mm, which is a stocked drill size.

The 6H minor diameter of the finished nut thread must lie between 26.211 and 26.771 mm. The recommended drill falls inside that band.

Other drills that work for M30×3.5

A larger drill cuts less thread and taps more easily; a smaller one gives a fuller thread but loads the tap harder.

Drillmmin% threadWithin 6H limitsThread engagement
26 mm26.001.023688%no
26.25 mm26.251.033582%yes
26.5 mmrecommended26.501.043377%yes
1-3/64" (1.0469 in)26.591.046975%yes
26.75 mm26.751.053171%yes
27 mm27.001.063066%no
27.25 mm27.251.072860%no
27.5 mm27.501.082755%no

% thread = (major diameter − drill diameter) ÷ (1.299 × pitch). See the tap drill chart for how to choose a percentage.

Clearance hole for M30

The clearance hole depends only on the 30 mm diameter, not on the pitch. The medium series, 33 mm, is the usual choice for general assembly.

SeriesHole Ø (mm)Hole Ø (in)Clearance on Ø (mm)
Fine (H12)311.22051
Medium (H13)331.29923
Coarse (H14)351.37805

Hole diameters from ISO 273.

M30×3.5 proof and breaking loads

Loads for steel bolts and screws by property class, from the tensile stress area of 561 mm². The proof load is the highest load the fastener must carry without permanent set.

Property classProof stress (MPa)Min tensile strength (MPa)Proof load (kN)Min breaking load (kN)
4.6225400126224
4.8310420174236
5.6280500157280
5.8380520213292
6.8440600247337
8.8600830337466
10.98301040466583
12.99701220544684

Class 9.8 applies only up to 16 mm and is omitted. Stresses from ISO 898-1:2013 Table 3; As from ISO 898-1. Loads rounded to three significant figures.

M30 pitches compared

All standard pitches on the M30 diameter. A finer pitch gives a shallower thread, a larger core and a smaller lead angle; a coarser pitch is faster to assemble and more tolerant of damage and plating.

M30×3.5depth 1.894 mmM30×2depth 1.083 mmM30×1.5depth 0.812 mmM30×1depth 0.541 mm
M30 pitches at the same scale with crests aligned; M30×3.5 is outlined.
ThreadPitch (mm)Pitch Ø (mm)Minor Ø D1 (mm)Stress area (mm²)Tap drill
M30×3.53.527.72726.21156126.5 mm
M30×2228.70127.83562128 mm
M30×1.51.529.02628.37664228.5 mm
M30×1129.35028.91766329 mm

When to choose a coarse or a fine thread

Closest inch thread

No inch thread is interchangeable with M30×3.5. The nearest is 1-1/8-7 UNC, which is 1.43 mm smaller in diameter with a pitch of 3.629 mm against 3.500 mm. A nut may start on the wrong thread and then bind or strip, so identify by both diameter and pitch.

ThreadMajor Ø (mm)Pitch (mm)TPIØ difference (mm)
M30×3.5 (this thread)30.0003.5007.26—
1-1/8-7 UNC28.5753.6297.00-1.425
1-1/4-7 UNC31.7503.6297.00+1.750
1-1/8-12 UNF28.5752.11712.00-1.425

Identify a thread from measurements

How the M30×3.5 dimensions are calculated

Every basic dimension follows from the major diameter and the pitch:

  • P = 3.5 mm
  • H = 0.866025 × P = 3.031 mm
  • d2 = d − 0.649519 × P = 30 − 2.273 = 27.727 mm
  • D1 = d − 1.082532 × P = 30 − 3.789 = 26.211 mm
  • d3 = d − 1.226869 × P = 30 − 4.294 = 25.706 mm (external root, 17H/24 deep)
  • As = π/4 × ((d2 + d3) ÷ 2)² = π/4 × 26.716² = 560.59 mm²
  • Lead angle = arctan(P ÷ (π × d2)) = 2.30°

Related sizes and tools

Sources: ISO 68-1 and ISO 724 (profile and basic dimensions), ISO 261 (diameter and pitch series), ISO 965-1 (tolerances), ISO 273 (clearance holes), ISO 898-1 (mechanical properties) and tap drill tables based on ISO 2306. How this site checks its data. Last reviewed 29 September 2026.