How to use the torque unit converter
- Enter the torque value, and a negative value is allowed.
- Choose the unit you are converting from and the unit you want to.
- Read the converted value in the headline, and look at the table to see the same torque in every unit.
- Copy or print the table if you need the equivalents for a work sheet or a service manual.
Formula
1 lbf = 4.4482216152605 N; 1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 in = 0.0254 m; 1 kgf = 9.80665 N
1 lbf ft = 1.3558179483314 N m; 1 lbf in = 0.11298482902762 N m
1 ozf in = 1/16 lbf in; 1 kgf m = 9.80665 N m; 1 kgf cm = 0.0980665 N m
Result = value x (factor of the from unit) / (factor of the to unit)
Every factor is defined exactly from the pound-force, the foot, the inch and the standard gravity of the kilogram-force, so the conversion is exact apart from the rounding of the displayed digits.
Common conversions
100 N m is 73.7562 lbf ft, or 885.075 lbf in, or 10.1972 kgf m. A wheel spec of 90 lbf ft is 122.024 N m. A small fastener at 25 lbf in is 2.82462 N m, and a spec of 15 kgf cm is 1.471 N m.
100 N m equals 14,161.2 ounce-inches. The table shows all of these at once so you can read a spec in one unit and set a wrench scaled in another.
Torque is force times distance
A torque of 1 newton meter is a force of 1 newton at 1 meter from the pivot. A pound-foot is a pound of force at one foot, which is why the unit is also written foot-pound. Pound-inches are one twelfth of a pound-foot, and ounce-inches are one sixteenth of a pound-inch.
If your wrench needs an extension, use the torque wrench extension calculator. To turn torque and speed into power, see the horsepower from torque calculator.
Watch the unit names
Kilogram-force meter is an older metric unit that still shows up in specs from some regions. Joules are the same dimension as newton meters but describe energy, not torque, so they are not listed here. Always check that a value in a manual is really a torque and which unit it is in before you set a wrench.
Assumptions and limits
- Pound means pound-force and the kilogram-force uses standard gravity of 9.80665 meters per second squared.
- The factors are exact by definition. Displayed values are rounded to 8 significant digits.
- Tools have their own accuracy, so a converted value does not guarantee the result at the fastener.
- The page converts units only. It does not say what torque a fastener needs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert newton meters to pound-feet?
Divide by 1.3558179483. 100 N m is 73.756 lbf ft. To go the other way, multiply by 1.3558179483.
Are foot-pounds and pound-feet the same?
For torque, yes. Both mean a pound of force acting at a distance of one foot, so the page lists one unit for both.
What is kgf cm in newton meters?
One kilogram-force centimeter is 0.0980665 N m, so 15 kgf cm is about 1.471 N m.
Is the conversion exact?
The factors are exact by definition, and the page shows up to 8 significant digits, so the result is as exact as the digits shown.