Having trouble figuring out what size stud size to choose for your ring or spade terminal, or maybe you are curious what stud size means? Read through this short post and take a look at the handy chart listed below. I have listed the stud sizes along with the US and metric dimensions for each for reference.
After helping a few customers with questions on ring and spade terminal stud sizes, I thought it would be a great idea to have a quick reference guide. Stud size is the size of the bolt or stud that the ring or spade terminal will be placed around.
Below I have compiled a chart based off of the ISO US custom and Metric stud sizes.
As you can see highlighted above, there are a number of sizes that are very similar in size. The highlighted sizes may or may not work interchangeably. In fact, as you will see in the example below, some manufacturers call out both the US and metric size on the same terminal.
If you measure the stud or bolt to find out what size you need and you are between two similar stud sizes, I recommend going with the larger size. Most of the time, even though they are larger in size, they will work for the application.
As you can see in the below snippet from the datasheet for the above part, the terminal size calls out a M4 or #8 stud. If you compare the size of the opening to the chart above, you will notice the slightly larger hole diameter than the stud size. Ring and spade terminals are designed to be slightly oversized from the stud size in order to allow for slight stud variations.
If you are looking for ring terminals, Click Here.
If you are looking for spade terminals, Click Here.
Hopefully this short post has helped you select the correct terminal for your application.