M6×1 thread

M6×1 is a coarse metric thread with a 6 mm (0.236") major diameter and 1 mm pitch. Tap it with a 5 mm drill; drill 6.4 mm to pass a bolt through.

The numbers

Designation

M6×1

Major diameter

6 mm / 0.236"

Minor diameter

4.917 mm

Pitch

1 mm pitch

Tap drill (75% thread)

5 mm — 5 mm

Clearance hole (close fit)

6.4 mm / 0.252"

Hex across flats

10 mm

How to measure what you have

1. Measure across the thread crests with calipers. A used M6×1 reads a little under 6 mm — the crests are truncated by the standard, then worn and plated, so anything from about 5.6 mm up is consistent with this size.
2. Measure the pitch: put a rule against the threads and count the distance over ten crests, then divide by ten. This one should give 1 mm.
3. A thread pitch gauge settles it in seconds and costs very little. Guessing between a coarse and a fine thread of the same diameter is the usual way a thread gets stripped.

Tightening torque

Plain steel property class 8.8 or SAE grade 5, dry threads, tightened to about 65% of yield. Lubricated threads reach the same preload at 20-30% less torque. Where the manufacturer publishes a figure — spark plugs, wheel nuts, cylinder heads — use theirs.

Where this size turns up

• Cage nuts in 19-inch server racks outside North America
• Bicycle disc brake caliper mounting bolts
• T-slot bolts in 3030 and 4040 extrusion
• Furniture connector and cam-lock bolts

Other threads at this diameter