Torque Converter
Convert torque between newton-meters, foot-pounds, and inch-pounds.
Conversion sheet
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Torque specs appear in different units depending on where a fastener's documentation was written: newton-meters in metric engineering, foot-pounds and inch-pounds in US automotive work, and kilogram-force meters in older or industrial references. This converter translates a torque value between all four so you can set a wrench correctly.
How it works
Every torque value converts through newton-meters as the base unit.
All units convert through newton-meters (N·m) as the base. The exact factors are 1 foot-pound = 1.35582 N·m, 1 inch-pound = 0.112985 N·m, and 1 kilogram-force meter = 9.80665 N·m. Torque is a rotational force — a force applied at a distance — so the same physical tightness can be expressed in any of these units.
Note the difference between foot-pounds and inch-pounds: there are 12 inch-pounds in a foot-pound, so small-fastener specs given in inch-pounds become small decimal values in foot-pounds. Mixing the two is a common cause of badly over- or under-torqued bolts.
Result = input value × (newton-meters per source unit ÷ newton-meters per target unit). Each unit's newton-meters factor is fixed, so the conversion is a single multiplication by the ratio of the two factors.
Worked examples
Convert 100 foot-pounds to newton-meters. → 135.582 N·m
Newton-meters is the base unit, so 100 × 1.35582 = 135.582 N·m — a typical lug-nut range for many passenger cars.
Convert 50 newton-meters to foot-pounds. → 36.88 foot-pounds
Going the other way, 50 ÷ 1.35582 = 36.88 foot-pounds.
Tips & gotchas
- Confirm whether a spec is in foot-pounds or inch-pounds before converting — they differ by a factor of 12, and a value in the wrong one will strip threads or leave a fastener loose.
- Kilogram-force meters (kgf·m) show up in older Japanese and European manuals. One kgf·m is 9.80665 N·m, roughly 7.23 foot-pounds.
- A torque wrench is most accurate in the middle 20–80 percent of its range. If a converted value sits at the very bottom of your wrench's scale, use a smaller wrench for a more reliable reading.
- Torque and bending moment share units (N·m), but this tool is for tightening specs. Always torque to the manufacturer's figure and in the specified sequence, not just to feel.
FAQ
What is the difference between foot-pounds and inch-pounds?
Both measure torque, but one foot-pound equals twelve inch-pounds. Small fasteners are usually spec'd in inch-pounds; using a foot-pound value in their place would apply roughly twelve times too much force.
Is foot-pound (torque) the same as pound-foot?
In everyday automotive use the terms are used interchangeably for tightening torque, and this converter treats foot-pounds as the torque unit equal to 1.35582 N·m. Some physics texts reserve 'foot-pound' for energy, but here it means the torque unit.
What is a kilogram-force meter?
It is torque expressed as the force of one kilogram-weight acting at a one-meter arm. One kgf·m equals 9.80665 N·m, the standard-gravity conversion, and appears in many older manuals.
Does temperature or thread lubrication change the torque value?
The unit conversion itself does not change, but lubricated ('wet') threads reach the same clamping force at a lower torque. Follow the manufacturer's note on whether a spec assumes dry or lubricated threads.
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