Nm to Ft-Lbs Converter
Convert newton meters to foot pounds instantly, plus in·lbf, kgf·cm, J/rad and four more torque units, with the working shown.
Enter a value and click Calculate to see the derivation.
What Are Nm and ft-lbs?
Newton-meters (Nm) and foot-pounds (ft-lbs) are units of torque, also called the moment of force or rotational force. Torque measures the tendency of an object to rotate when force is applied to it.
A lever has one fixed point, the pivot point. Push or pull the lever in a straight line, and the lever rotates around the pivot point. The product of the force applied and the perpendicular distance from the pivot point equals torque.
The SI unit system measures torque in newton-meters (Nm). The FPS (foot-pound-second) system uses foot-pounds (ft-lbs). Both units describe the same physical quantity, rotational force.
Nm to ft-lbs Conversion Formula
The Nm to ft-lbs conversion formula is straightforward. 1 Nm is equal to 0.7376 ft-lbs. To convert newton-meters to foot-pounds, multiply the Nm value by 0.7376.
The reverse conversion works the same way: 1 ft-lb is equivalent to 1.3558 Nm. Multiply the ft-lbs value by 1.3558 to convert back to newton-meters, or divide the Nm value by 1.3558 to get foot-pounds.
The conversion factor 0.7376 comes from the relationship between the SI and FPS unit systems. The exact value is 0.7375621493 (rounded to 10 decimal places), derived from the definitions of the foot (0.3048 m) and the pound-force (4.44822162 N) as standardized by NIST.
Away from a screen? The same arithmetic works on paper. Here is how to convert Nm to ft-lbs by hand, including a mental shortcut for quick workshop estimates.
How to Convert Nm to ft-lbs?
To convert Nm to ft-lbs torque, multiply the value in newton-meters by 0.7376 to get the torque in foot-pounds. You can also divide by 1.3558 to get the same result.
How to Convert ft-lbs to Nm?
The reverse conversion uses the reciprocal factor. 1 ft-lb is equivalent to 1.3558 Nm. Multiply the ft-lbs value by 1.3558 to get newton-meters.
For example, 50 ft-lbs × 1.3558 = 67.79 Nm. The Nm to ft-lbs conversion calculator at the top of the page handles both directions: select ft·lbf as the input unit and enter the value.
Working mainly in the imperial direction? Convert ft-lbs to Nm on our dedicated reverse converter, which includes a foot-pounds to newton-metres table and worked examples.
Common Torque Specs in Nm and Ft-Lbs
Most published torque specs are written in newton-meters, while a lot of workshop tooling in the US is still marked in foot-pounds, so the number on the page and the number on your torque wrench rarely match without a conversion. The table below lists typical ranges for jobs you are likely to meet on a car, a bike, or a workbench. Treat cylinder head bolt torque as the exception rather than the rule: modern head bolts are usually torque-to-yield, tightened in several stages and finished with a measured angle turn, so no single figure can stand in for the procedure in your manual.
| Application | Typical Torque (Nm) | Torque (ft-lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle stem / handlebar clamp bolts | 5–7 Nm | 3.7–5.2 ft-lbs |
| Spark plugs | 20–30 Nm | 15–22 ft-lbs |
| Engine oil drain plug | 25–45 Nm | 18–33 ft-lbs |
| Brake caliper slider/guide pins | 25–35 Nm | 18–26 ft-lbs |
| Brake caliper bracket bolts | 80–130 Nm | 59–96 ft-lbs |
| Wheel / lug nuts (passenger car) | 100–140 Nm | 74–103 ft-lbs |
| Cylinder head bolts | Varies, torque-to-yield, tightened in stages plus an angle turn. See manual. | |
| Heavy plant / large structural bolts | 300+ Nm | 220+ ft-lbs |
These are typical ranges for general reference only. Torque depends on bolt grade, diameter, and material, always use the value in your vehicle or equipment manual.
What is Torque?
Torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. Torque measures how much a force acting on an object causes the object to rotate around an axis. The formula for torque is:
τ = r × F
Where τ is torque, r is the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation, and F is the applied force. Torque is measured in newton-meters (Nm) in the SI unit system and foot-pounds (ft-lbs) in the FPS system.
Torque plays a role in automotive repair calculations, industrial fastener tightening, power equipment maintenance, and machinery installation guidelines. A torque wrench is the primary tool for applying a measured torque value. A dynamometer measures the torque output of engines and motors.
How Much Torque is Nm to ft-lbs?
1 Nm equals 0.7376 ft-lbs. A torque wrench set to 100 Nm applies 73.76 ft-lbs of rotational force. Working with gears and gear trains requires precise torque conversion between the SI and FPS systems.
For automotive applications, lug nuts commonly require 80-120 Nm (59-88 ft-lbs), while engine head bolts require 50-100 Nm (36.9-73.8 ft-lbs), depending on specifications from the vehicle manufacturer.
Different Torque Units
Torque has 6 common measurement units. Newton-meters (Nm) and foot-pounds (ft-lbs) are the 2 most used torque units. The SI unit system uses newton-meters, while the FPS (foot-pound-second) system uses foot-pounds.
Other torque units include inch-pounds (in-lbs) for small engine adjustments, kgf·cm for industrial fastener tightening, J/rad (Joules per radian) for calculating work and power, and kgf·m (Kilopondometer) for machinery installation guidelines.
Choosing the correct torque unit depends on the application. Automotive manufacturers in the United States typically specify ft-lbs in service manuals, while European and Asian manufacturers use Nm. Precision instruments such as micrometer torque wrenches often display in-lbs or kgf·cm for finer resolution at low torque ranges.
Nm to ft-lb Conversion Table/Chart
The Nm to ft-lbs conversion table below covers the most common torque values from 1 Nm to 1000 Nm. Use the toggle to switch between table view and bar chart view. Type a specific Nm value in the search box to filter the table.
| Newton-meters (Nm) | Foot-pounds (ft·lbf) |
|---|---|
| 1 Nm to ft-lbs | 0.7376 ft-lbs |
| 2 Nm to ft-lbs | 1.4751 ft-lbs |
| 5 Nm to ft-lbs | 3.6878 ft-lbs |
| 10 Nm to ft-lbs | 7.3756 ft-lbs |
| 20 Nm to ft-lbs | 14.7512 ft-lbs |
| 25 Nm to ft-lbs | 18.4391 ft-lbs |
| 30 Nm to ft-lbs | 22.1269 ft-lbs |
| 35 Nm to ft-lbs | 25.8147 ft-lbs |
| 40 Nm to ft-lbs | 29.5025 ft-lbs |
| 50 Nm to ft-lbs | 36.8781 ft-lbs |
| 60 Nm to ft-lbs | 44.2537 ft-lbs |
| 75 Nm to ft-lbs | 55.3172 ft-lbs |
| 100 Nm to ft-lbs | 73.7562 ft-lbs |
| 120 Nm to ft-lbs | 88.5075 ft-lbs |
| 140 Nm to ft-lbs | 103.2587 ft-lbs |
| 150 Nm to ft-lbs | 110.6344 ft-lbs |
| 200 Nm to ft-lbs | 147.5125 ft-lbs |
| 250 Nm to ft-lbs | 184.3906 ft-lbs |
| 300 Nm to ft-lbs | 221.2688 ft-lbs |
| 400 Nm to ft-lbs | 295.025 ft-lbs |
| 500 Nm to ft-lbs | 368.7813 ft-lbs |
| 600 Nm to ft-lbs | 442.5375 ft-lbs |
| 700 Nm to ft-lbs | 516.2938 ft-lbs |
| 800 Nm to ft-lbs | 590.05 ft-lbs |
| 900 Nm to ft-lbs | 663.8063 ft-lbs |
| 1000 Nm to ft-lbs | 737.5621 ft-lbs |
All conversions in the table are rounded to 4 decimal places. The conversion factor is 1 Nm = 0.7375621493 ft-lbs. For values not shown in the table, use the Nm to ft-lbs conversion calculator at the top of the page.
Need a value this table skips? Browse the full Nm to ft-lbs conversion chart, 1 to 1000, every whole number has its own page, grouped by application.
Other Units of Torque
A torque wrench typically displays Nm and ft-lbs. 3 other torque units serve specific applications: kgf-cm, J/rad, and kgf·m (Kilopondometer). Each unit connects to newton-meters through a fixed conversion factor.
kgf-cm to Nm
kg-cm (kilogram-centimeters) is a torque unit written with improper notation. The correct form is kgf·cm, where kgf means kilograms of force: kilograms multiplied by gravitational acceleration (g). To convert kgf-cm to Nm, multiply the value by 0.09807, one-hundredth of the gravitational acceleration of Earth.
1 kgf-cm = 0.09807 Nm = 0.07233 ft-lbs
J/rad to Nm
J/rad (Joules per radian) represents the energy spent for every radian of rotation. 1 J/rad equals 1 Nm exactly. J/rad and Nm are equivalent SI units. Torque and energy have the same dimensions but represent different physical quantities. J/rad is used when calculating work and power from torque values.
1 J/rad = 1 Nm = 0.738 ft-lbs
kgm to Nm
Kilopondometer (kgf-m or kgm) is a unit of torque and energy. The kgm unit measures the force applied to one kilogram as a result of gravitational acceleration. 1 kgm equals 9.80665 Nm, the force of gravity acting on a 1 kg mass over a 1-meter distance.
1 kgm = 9.80665 Nm
Torque Conversion Calculator: Example of Use
A gear train consists of three different wheels. The target output torque is 12 ft-lbs. The dynamometer displays values in newton-meters only. What should the dynamometer reading be?
- The target torque is 12 ft-lbs.
- 1 ft-lb is equivalent to 1.3558 Nm.
- Multiply: 12 × 1.3558 = 16.27 Nm
- The dynamometer needs to display 16.27 Nm.
The Nm to ft-lbs converter at the top of the page performs this calculation instantly. Enter 12 in the input field, select ft·lbf as the input unit, and click Calculate.
Nm, Lb-Ft and Ft-Lb: Which One Is in Your Manual?
The terms foot-pounds and pound-feet describe the same torque measurement, but they have different origins. Pound-foot (lb-ft) is the technically correct term for torque. Foot-pound (ft-lb) is the common term used in practice.
British physicist Arthur Mason Worthington proposed the term “pound-foot” in his 1900 book Dynamics of Rotation while teaching at the Royal Naval Engineering College in Devonport. Worthington argued that separating torque terminology from the foot-pound unit of energy would reduce confusion.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) adopted this convention. SAE Standard J1349, the industry standard for measuring engine power output, lists torque units as "N-m or lb-ft", not ft-lb. Gary W. Pollak, P.E. Program Manager for SAE, confirmed this standard.
You will see this unit written half a dozen ways, lb-ft, lbf-ft, lb ft, lbs ft, ft-lb and ft-lbs, and every one of them means the same thing: force multiplied by distance. So a manual quoting lb-ft and a wrench marked ft-lbs are talking about identical numbers, and searching for nm to lb ft gets you the same answer as Nm to ft-lbs. Only the word order and punctuation change.
FAQs
How do I convert inch-lbs to foot-lbs?
Divide a value in inch-pounds by 12 to get the value in foot-pounds. The ratio between in-lbs and ft-lbs matches the ratio between inches and feet: 12 inches in 1 foot, 12 in-lbs in 1 ft-lb.
What is 10 Nm in inch-pounds?
10 Nm equals 88.51 in-lbs. To convert any torque value from newton-meters to inch-pounds, multiply the Nm value by 8.8507. For example: 10 × 8.8507 = 88.51 in-lbs.
How do I convert Nm to ft-lbs torque?
Multiply the value in newton-meters by 0.7376 to get the torque in foot-pounds. You can also divide by 1.3558 to get the same result. Both methods use the same NIST-standard conversion factor.
What is the conversion for ft-lbs to Nm?
Multiply the ft-lbs value by 1.3558 to convert foot-pounds to newton-meters. For example, 50 ft-lbs × 1.3558 = 67.79 Nm. The Nm to ft-lbs converter at the top of the page handles both directions.
How much is 88 Nm to ft-lbs?
88 Nm equals 64.91 ft-lbs. The calculation: 88 × 0.7376 = 64.91 ft-lbs. 88 Nm is a common torque specification for many automotive wheel lug nut applications.
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