Torque Converter

Convert between N·m, lbf·ft, lbf·in and kgf·m.

Value

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Converted torque

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How it works

A torque converter restates a rotational, or turning, force in a different unit, moving between newton-metres and kilonewton-metres on the metric side and pound-force feet, pound-force inches and kilogram-force metres on the customary side. It reduces your figure to newton-metres, the SI unit for torque, then scales out to the unit you choose, so a single pivot handles engine specifications, bolt tightening figures and machine-design loads alike. This matters because torque is one of the most unit-fragmented quantities in engineering. A car's engine may be quoted in newton-metres in Europe but pound-force feet in the United States; a bolt's tightening specification might arrive in pound-force inches for small fasteners; older or continental machinery sometimes uses kilogram-force metres. Following a torque spec in the wrong unit can leave a fastener dangerously loose or over-tightened to failure, so a reliable converter is a genuine safety tool, not just a convenience. The convert-through-newton-metres method is used because every torque unit has a fixed, defined ratio to the newton-metre — one pound-force foot is about 1.3558 N·m, one kilogram-force metre is 9.80665 N·m — so pivoting through that base keeps results exact and needs only one factor per unit. Mechanics, assembly technicians, machinists and engineers reading mixed-unit specifications all rely on a torque converter to apply the correct turning force every time.

Formula

Convert to newton-metres via known factors, then to the target unit

The input is multiplied by its unit's fixed ratio to the newton-metre to express the torque in newton-metres, then divided by the target unit's ratio to complete the conversion. Because torque is a force acting at a distance, and both force and distance reduce to constants against the newton and the metre, every torque unit's ratio to the N·m is fixed, so chaining through that one base stays exact for all unit pairs.

Source:International System of Units (SI) — NIST

We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.

Worked example

Value:100From:N·mTo:lbf·ft

100 N·m ÷ 1.35581795 ≈ 73.76 lbf·ft.

How to use this calculator

1
Enter your values
Enter value, from and to.
2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
3
Read your result
Converted torque updates instantly as you type — no button to press.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert newton-metres to pound-force feet?

Divide the newton-metre figure by about 1.3558 to get pound-force feet, or equivalently multiply by 0.7376. So 100 N·m is about 73.8 lbf·ft, a typical wheel-nut range. To reverse it, multiply pound-force feet by 1.3558. The factor is exact because a pound-force foot is defined from the exact pound-force and foot, so only display rounding appears in the result.

What is the difference between lb-ft and lb-in?

A pound-force foot (lbf·ft) is twelve times larger than a pound-force inch (lbf·in), because a foot is twelve inches. Larger fasteners and engine torque use lb-ft, while small screws, electronics and delicate assemblies specify lb-in for finer control. So 10 lbf·ft equals 120 lbf·in. Mixing the two by a factor of twelve is a common and damaging mistake this converter helps avoid.

Is torque the same as energy since both use force times distance?

No, and the shared units are a coincidence worth understanding. Energy is force applied along the direction of motion, measured in joules; torque is force applied at a right angle to a lever arm, causing rotation. By convention torque keeps the newton-metre name and energy uses the joule, even though both reduce to the same base units, so never treat a torque figure as energy.

What is a kilogram-force metre?

A kilogram-force metre (kgf·m) is the torque produced by one kilogram-force acting on a one-metre lever arm, equal to exactly 9.80665 newton-metres because that is standard gravity. It appears on older European and Japanese machinery and in some engine literature. So 10 kgf·m is about 98.07 N·m. The converter uses the exact standard-gravity value, so the result is precise to the decimals shown.

Why convert torque through newton-metres?

The newton-metre is the SI unit for torque, so every other torque unit has a fixed, exactly defined ratio to it. Using it as the pivot means the converter needs only one factor per unit rather than a separate rule for each pair, and it keeps results exact. It is also the unit that engineering torque and rotational-dynamics equations expect, which makes cross-checking calculations straightforward.