Torque Converter

A Newton‑meter (N·m) is the SI (metric) unit of torque. It represents the moment of force when one newton of force is applied perpendicularly at a distance of one meter from the pivot point. It is the standard torque unit used in most countries outside the United States, and is widely used in engineering, automotive repair, and physics.

A foot‑pound (ft·lb or lb·ft) is the imperial unit of torque. It is defined as the torque produced by one pound-force applied at a perpendicular distance of one foot from the pivot. This unit is commonly used in the United States and the United Kingdom, especially in automotive contexts such as torque wrench specifications.

To convert Newton‑meters to foot‑pounds, multiply the N·m value by 0.737562.
Formula: ft·lb = N·m × 0.737562
For example: 100 N·m × 0.737562 = 73.76 ft·lb.

To convert foot‑pounds to Newton‑meters, multiply the ft·lb value by 1.355818.
Formula: N·m = ft·lb × 1.355818
For example: 50 ft·lb × 1.355818 = 67.79 N·m.

In practice, ft·lb and lb·ft are used interchangeably to describe the same unit of torque (pound-foot). While some engineers argue that ft·lb emphasizes foot as the lever arm and lb·ft emphasizes pound as the force, both notations refer to the same measurement. Most torque wrench manufacturers use ft·lb or ft-lb on their tools.

There are exactly 12 inch‑pounds (in·lb) in 1 foot‑pound (ft·lb). This is because there are 12 inches in a foot, and torque scales linearly with lever-arm length.
Formula: in·lb = ft·lb × 12.

A kilogram‑meter (kg·m) is a unit of torque based on kilogram-force. One kg·m equals the torque produced by one kilogram of force at a one‑meter lever arm. 1 kg·m = 9.80665 N·m ≈ 7.233 ft·lb. This unit is still seen on some older European and Japanese torque wrenches.

This converter uses the standard conversion factor 1 N·m = 0.7375621493 ft·lb (and its reciprocal 1 ft·lb = 1.3558179483 N·m), which is accurate to 10 decimal places. For most practical applications—including automotive, engineering, and DIY projects—results displayed to 4 decimal places provide more than sufficient precision. You can adjust the decimal precision using the +/− buttons.

European manufacturers follow the metric system and specify torque in Newton‑meters (N·m), while American manufacturers traditionally use the imperial system with foot‑pounds (ft·lb). This is why a European car's service manual will list lug nut torque in N·m (e.g., 120 N·m), whereas an American pickup truck manual may list it in ft·lb (e.g., 89 ft·lb). Our converter bridges this gap so you can work confidently with either standard.