M4 x 0.7 Tap Drill Size (3.3 mm), Clearance Hole and Depth

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The tap drill for M4 x 0.7 is 3.3 mm (0.1299 in), which gives about 77% of full thread depth. The exact 75% hole is 0.1306 in (3.32 mm). The table lists every number, letter, fractional and metric drill that gives between 55% and 90% thread, so you can work from the bits you own.

DrillTypeinmmThreadNote
3.2 mmmetric0.12603.2088%deep, hard to tap
#30number0.12853.2681%deep, hard to tap
3.3 mmmetric0.12993.3077%chart drill
3.4 mmmetric0.13393.4066%easier to tap
#29number0.13603.4560%easier to tap
Thread % = (major diameter − drill) × TPI ÷ 0.01299 (Machinery’s Handbook), for M4 x 0.7; our arithmetic. Bold = the usual chart drill. Below about 68% the tap turns more easily, which helps in stainless steel and with small taps.

About the M4 x 0.7 thread

M4 x 0.7 is the thread on many electronics and furniture fittings, small brackets, bicycle accessories and the smaller VESA monitor mounts (the 75 and 100 mm patterns on most monitors use M4 screws; large TVs use M6 or M8). It is also common in aluminium extrusion and jig hardware.

Diameter minus pitch gives 3.3 mm, the drill on almost every chart. It is often written as “4m x .7” or “M4 x .7”; the answer is the same. If your set has only 0.5 mm steps, 3.5 mm gives a much shallower thread (about 55%) that may strip in soft metal, so it is worth buying the 3.3 mm bit.

M4 x 0.7 thread dimensions

DimensionValueAlso
Nominal diameter4 mm0.1575 in
Pitch0.7 mm36.29 threads per inch equivalent
Basic pitch diameter3.545 mm0.1396 in
Basic minor diameter (nut)3.242 mm0.1276 in
Tensile stress area8.78 mm²0.0136 in²
Basic (nominal) dimensions from the ISO 68-1 profile: d2 = d − 0.649519 P, D1 = d − 1.082532 P, As = π/4 (d − 0.938194 P)². Our arithmetic.

Clearance hole for M4

The tapped hole is in the part that holds the thread; the part being clamped gets a clearance hole the bolt passes through. For M4 a normal fit is 4.5 mm. Never drill the clearance part with the tap drill: the screw will not pass.

FitDrillDiameter
Close (ISO 273 fine)4.3 mm0.1693 in
Normal (ISO 273 medium)4.5 mm0.1772 in
Loose (ISO 273 coarse)4.8 mm0.1890 in
From the clearance hole tables our clearance hole calculator uses.

How deep to drill a blind M4 x 0.7 hole

Part materialFull thread wantedDrill depth (full diameter)Depth to drill tip (118°)
Steel or cast iron (1 × diameter)4.0 mm8.9 mm9.9 mm
Aluminium or brass (2 × diameter)8.0 mm12.9 mm13.9 mm
Plug tap (5 tapered threads) + 2 threads of chip room below the tap + the 118° drill point. Same rules as our tapped hole depth calculator, where you can change any of them; why 1 × and 2 ×: thread engagement chart.

Wrench size and torque for M4

  • Hex bolt or nut: 7 mm wrench (ISO)
  • Socket head cap screw (ISO 4762): 3 mm hex key
Bolt gradeDryLubricated
Class 8.83.1 N·m (2.3 ft-lb)2.3 N·m
Class 10.94.4 N·m (3.2 ft-lb)3.3 N·m
Class 12.95.1 N·m (3.8 ft-lb)3.8 N·m
T = K × D × F with F = 75% of minimum proof load (ISO 898-1) and K = 0.20 dry, 0.15 lubricated: a general starting figure, not a spec. See the bolt torque chart. The maker’s torque always takes precedence.

Threads easily mistaken for M4 x 0.7

ThreadDiameter (in)Diameter (mm)Pitch
M4 x 0.7 (this page)0.15754.000.7 mm (36.3 TPI)
#8-32 UNC0.16404.1732 TPI (0.79 mm)
#8-36 UNF0.16404.1736 TPI (0.71 mm)
Threads within 6% of the same diameter, from our UNC/UNF and metric charts. None of them interchange with this one.

Tips for tapping M4 x 0.7

  • VESA mount screws: check the length as well as the thread; screws that bottom out in the TV can crack the panel housing.
  • M4 and #8-32 are close in diameter (0.157 vs 0.164 in) but not interchangeable.
  • In aluminium, aim for about 8 mm (2 x diameter) of full thread; in steel, 4 to 6 mm is enough.
  • An M4 socket head cap screw takes a 3 mm hex key.

Frequently asked questions

What size drill bit for an M4 x 0.7 tap?

3.3 mm, which gives about 77% thread. The exact 75% size is 0.1306 in (3.32 mm).

How deep should a blind M4 x 0.7 hole be?

For a full thread of 1 × diameter in steel, drill about 8.9 mm at full diameter with a plug tap, or 9.9 mm to the drill tip; in aluminium, about 12.9 mm.

What size drill for M4 x 0.7 in inches?

#30 (0.1285 in, 3.26 mm) is the closest inch drill to 3.3 mm; 1/8 in (0.125 in) gives a deeper thread that is harder to tap.

What is the clearance hole for an M4 bolt?

4.3 mm close, 4.5 mm normal and 4.8 mm loose (ISO 273).

Sources and method

Every dimension and percentage on this page is computed from the formulas listed, not copied from another chart. Values are basic (nominal); real parts are made to tolerance classes (2A/2B for inch, 6g/6H for metric).

  1. ASME B1.1 and FED-STD-H28/2B (Unified inch), ISO 68-1 and ISO 261 (metric): basic thread profile and stress area formulas.
  2. Machinery’s Handbook (Industrial Press): percentage-of-thread relation used by our tap drill size calculator.
  3. ASME B94.11M twist drill series (number, letter, fractional); 0.1 mm metric drill steps.
  4. ISO 273 metric clearance holes; inch close, normal and loose fits as published in the ASME B18.2.8 clearance classes.
  5. SAE J429 and ISO 898-1 proof strengths; T = K × D × F torque relation (see our bolt torque chart for the full method).
  6. Wrench and hex key sizes: ASME B18.2.1, ASME B18.3, ASME B18.6.3, ISO 4014/4017, DIN 933 and ISO 4762 values as widely published.

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Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. How we build and check our data: methodology and corrections. Spotted an error? Please let us know.