Torque Converter

Convert Nm to ft-lbs, in-lbs, kgf-m and back. Torque figures are what every fastener specification and wrench setting is quoted in.

Note. Torque and energy share the same dimensions, so a newton metre and a joule are numerically identical — but they are not interchangeable in meaning. Keep torque figures in torque units.

Popular torque conversions

Nm to ft-lbs ft-lbs to Nm Nm to in-lbs in-lbs to Nm

Torque unit reference chart

What one of each unit is worth in newton meters, the base unit used for every conversion in this category.

Torque units expressed in newton meters
Unit	Symbol	1 unit in N·m
newton meters	N·m	1 N·m
foot-pounds	ft·lb	1.355817948 N·m
inch-pounds	in·lb	0.112984829 N·m
kilogram-force meters	kgf·m	9.80665 N·m
kilogram-force centimeters	kgf·cm	0.0980665 N·m
newton centimeters	N·cm	0.01 N·m
ounce-inches	oz·in	0.007061551814 N·m
dyne centimeters	dyn·cm	0.0000001 N·m

Torque units explained

Newton meters (N·m)

The newton meter is the SI unit of torque: one newton of force applied at one meter from the pivot. It is the unit on almost every metric torque wrench and vehicle service manual.

Foot-pounds (ft·lb)

A foot-pound of torque is one pound-force applied one foot from the pivot, about 1.356 Nm. US fastener specifications and engine output figures use it. Some manuals write it lb-ft to distinguish torque from energy.

Inch-pounds (in·lb)

An inch-pound is one twelfth of a foot-pound, about 0.113 Nm. Small fasteners, electronics and aviation hardware are specified in inch-pounds because foot-pound figures would be inconveniently small.

Kilogram-force meters (kgf·m)

A kilogram-force meter is 9.80665 Nm. Japanese and older European service manuals quote torque this way, often written kg-m.

Kilogram-force centimeters (kgf·cm)

A kilogram-force centimeter is one hundredth of a kgf·m, about 0.098 Nm. Small motors and servos are rated in kgf·cm.

Frequently asked questions

What is the base unit of torque?

This converter routes every torque conversion through the newton meter. Converting from one unit to another means converting to newton meters first and then out again, which keeps every pair consistent with every other pair.

How accurate are these torque conversions?

Results are shown to 10 significant digits using exact defined factors wherever a unit has one. Torque and energy share the same dimensions, so a newton metre and a joule are numerically identical — but they are not interchangeable in meaning. Keep torque figures in torque units.

All torque conversions

Every torque conversion page on this site, 38 in total.