How to use the torque converter
- Type a value in either box. Decimals with a comma or a point both work.
- Choose the units on each side, or press the arrows to swap them.
- The table below shows the value in every unit at once. Click a row to convert to that unit.
About torque units
Torque is a turning force: the force times its distance from the pivot. The SI unit is the newton meter (N·m). US specifications use the pound-foot (lb·ft), a pound-force acting at one foot, which is 1.35582 N·m. So 100 N·m is 73.7562 lb·ft.
Small fasteners are often specified in pound-inches, and 12 lb·in make 1 lb·ft, so check whether a spec says inches or feet before setting a torque wrench. Older manuals sometimes give kilogram-force meters (exactly 9.80665 N·m) or kilogram-force centimeters.
Torque is also written as ft-lb. Strictly, the foot-pound is a unit of energy, but wrenches and manuals use both names for torque and the number is the same either way.
Popular torque conversions
Torque units
| Unit | Symbol | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Newton meters | N·m | The base unit |
| Pound-feet | lb·ft | 1 lb·ft = 1.355817948 N·m |
| Pound-inches | lb·in | 1 lb·in = 0.112984829 N·m |
| Kilogram-force meters | kgf·m | 1 kgf·m = 9.80665 N·m |
| Kilogram-force centimeters | kgf·cm | 1 kgf·cm = 0.0980665 N·m |
| Ounce-inches | oz·in | 1 oz·in = 0.007061551814 N·m |
Converting something else? The unit converter covers every kind of unit in one place.