---
title: "9/16\"-12 UNC tap drill 31/64\", clearance 15.08 mm"
description: "9/16\"-12 UNC: tap drill 31/64\", clearance hole 15.08 mm, 20.64 mm hex. Full thread dimensions, how to identify it, and torque."
url: https://atoneplace.net/fastener/nine-sixteenths-12/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 9/16"-12 UNC thread

**9/16"-12 UNC tap drill: 31/64"**

Clearance hole 15.08 mm · 20.64 mm hex

9/16"-12 UNC is a coarse Unified inch thread with a 14.287 mm (0.562") major diameter and 12 threads per inch (2.117 mm pitch). Tap it with a 31/64" drill; drill 15.08 mm to pass a bolt through.

## The numbers

- **Designation:** 9/16"-12 UNC
- **Major diameter:** 14.287 mm / 0.562"
- **Minor diameter:** 11.996 mm
- **Pitch:** 12 threads per inch (2.117 mm pitch)
- **Tap drill (75% thread):** 31/64" — 12.3 mm
- **Clearance hole (close fit):** 15.08 mm / 0.594"
- **Hex across flats:** 20.64 mm

## How to measure what you have

1. Measure across the thread crests with calipers. A used 9/16"-12 UNC reads a little under 14.287 mm — the crests are truncated by the standard, then worn and plated, so anything from about 13.9 mm up is consistent with this size.
2. Count the threads crossing one inch. This one gives 12.
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

**Typical torque: 118–162 N·m**

87.0–119.5 lb·ft

> 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

- US automotive chassis and suspension bolts
- Heavy bracket and machinery bolting

## Other threads at this diameter

*Same diameter, different pitch. Forcing the wrong one strips the thread in a turn or two.*

| Thread | Pitch | Tap drill | Clearance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 9/16"-18 UNF | 18 tpi | 33/64" | 15.08 mm |

## Common questions

### What size drill for an 9/16"-12 UNC tap?

31/64" (12.3 mm), which gives about 75% thread engagement.

### What clearance hole for 9/16"-12 UNC?

15.08 mm for a close fit — enough to pass the bolt without slop.

### What spanner fits 9/16"-12 UNC?

20.64 mm across the flats on a standard hex head.

## Related pages

- [9/16"-18 UNF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/nine-sixteenths-18/)
- [1/2"-13 UNC](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/half-13/)
- [1/2"-20 UNF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/half-20/)
- [1/2"-28 UNEF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/half-28/)
- [5/8"-11 UNC](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/five-eighths-11/)
- [5/8"-18 UNF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/five-eighths-18/)
- [5/8"-27 UNS](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/five-eighths-27/)
- [7/16"-14 UNC](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/seven-sixteenths-14/)
- [7/16"-20 UNF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/seven-sixteenths-20/)
- [3/8"-16 UNC](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/three-eighths-16/)
- [3/8"-24 UNF](https://atoneplace.net/fastener/three-eighths-24/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)