Free online torque converter. Convert newton-meters (Nm) to foot-pounds (ft-lb), inch-pounds (in-lb), and kilogram-meters instantly — for automotive torque specs, bolt tightening, and engineering. Accurate, instant, no sign-up.
Nm • ft-lb • in-lb • kg-m • dyne-cm
US repair manuals list torque in ft-lb; imported cars use Nm. Convert lug nut, head bolt, and spark plug specs accurately.
Electronics and bike components use inch-pounds. 1 ft-lb = 12 in-lb — easy to mistake and strip threads if confused.
Mechanical engineers convert between SI (Nm) and imperial (ft-lb) torque for design specs and international collaboration.
Torque is rotational force, and the most common conversion in the USA is between newton-meters (Nm) and foot-pounds (ft-lb): 1 ft-lb = 1.355818 Nm, and 1 Nm = 0.737562 ft-lb. This matters constantly in automotive work — US repair manuals and torque wrenches typically use ft-lb, while manufacturer specs for imported and modern vehicles increasingly use Nm. Get it wrong and you risk stripping threads (over-torque) or parts loosening (under-torque). For example, a typical lug nut spec of 100 ft-lb equals 135.6 Nm.
Smaller fasteners — bicycle components, electronics, and precision assemblies — are specified in inch-pounds (in-lb), where 1 ft-lb = 12 in-lb. A spec of 89 in-lb equals 7.4 ft-lb or 10 Nm. Older Japanese vehicles and some industrial equipment use kilogram-force meters (kg-m), where 1 kg-m = 9.807 Nm = 7.233 ft-lb. Always match your torque wrench's unit to the spec, or convert precisely before tightening critical fasteners like cylinder head bolts, which follow exact torque sequences.
Lug nuts: 80–100 ft-lb (108–135 Nm). Spark plugs: 15–25 ft-lb (20–34 Nm). Oil drain plug: 25–35 ft-lb. Brake caliper bolts: 25–45 ft-lb. Always check your specific vehicle manual.
Stem bolts: 40–60 in-lb. Seatpost clamp: 50–70 in-lb. Disc brake rotor: 55 in-lb. Carbon parts especially require a precise in-lb torque wrench to avoid cracking.
10 Nm = 7.38 ft-lb. 25 Nm = 18.4 ft-lb. 50 Nm = 36.9 ft-lb. 100 Nm = 73.8 ft-lb. 150 Nm = 110.6 ft-lb. 200 Nm = 147.5 ft-lb.
Torque (Nm/ft-lb) is rotational force; power (HP/kW) is the rate of doing work. They're related: HP = (Torque × RPM) / 5252. Don't confuse them when reading engine specs.
Torque is a rotational force — a force applied at a distance from an axis — so its units are a force multiplied by a length rather than divided by one. That makes the newton-metre dimensionally identical to the joule, though the two are never interchanged because one describes a twist and the other an energy. The ordering of the imperial name matters as a convention: pound-feet (lb·ft) is torque, while foot-pounds is often used for energy, and although the arithmetic is the same the distinction signals intent. Fastener specifications are the main everyday use, where over-torquing strips threads and under-torquing lets joints loosen.
newton-metres = value × factor_fromτ = F × r × sin θ1 lb·ft = 1.35581795 N·m · 1 lb·in = 0.112985 N·mwhere:
Assumptions: Specifications assume clean, dry threads unless stated. Lubricated threads reach the same clamp load at roughly 20–30% less torque, so applying a dry spec to an oiled bolt over-tightens it.
A US wheel torque figure converted for a metric torque wrench.
Result120 lb·ft = 162.70 N·m = 1,440 lb·in
Torque scales inversely with lever length, so doubling the bar halves the force needed. It also means a cheater pipe on a torque wrench invalidates the reading entirely, because the wrench measures at its own designed length.
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