About the Newton Meters to Foot Pounds
This newton meters to foot pounds converter changes a torque value between newton-meters (N·m), foot-pounds (ft·lb) and inch-pounds (in·lb). Enter the number and its unit, and all three equivalents appear, along with a quick reference table of common torque settings.
Mechanics, cyclists and DIYers use it when a service manual gives a spec in N·m but the torque wrench reads in ft-lb (or the reverse) — for lug nuts, spark plugs, cylinder heads, brake calipers and bicycle components. It also lets you compare engine torque quoted as N·m in Europe with lb-ft in the US.
The "pound" in torque units is pound-force. Small fasteners are often specified in inch-pounds; 12 in·lb make 1 ft·lb. Always tighten to the manufacturer's figure with a calibrated wrench — a conversion does not replace the spec.
With the default inputs, the foot-pounds is 73.756 ft·lb. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the newton meters to foot pounds
- 1Enter the torque value from the spec or wrench.
- 2Choose the unit it is in: N·m, ft·lb or in·lb.
- 3Read foot-pounds at the top and the other units below.
- 4Set your torque wrench to the converted value in its own unit.
Formula and method
Torque is force times lever length. One foot-pound is one pound-force (exactly 4.4482216152605 N) acting at one foot (exactly 0.3048 m), so 1 ft·lb = 1.3558179 N·m and 1 N·m = 0.737562 ft·lb. An inch-pound is one-twelfth of that, 0.1129848 N·m.
The converter turns your value into newton-meters and then into each other unit. Kilogram-force meters, sometimes seen on older Japanese and European specs, use standard gravity: 1 kgf·m = 9.80665 N·m.
- N·m
- Newton-meter, the SI unit of torque
- ft·lb
- Foot-pound-force (also written lb-ft or ft-lbs)
- in·lb
- Inch-pound-force; 12 in·lb = 1 ft·lb
Worked examples
100 N·m wheel nut spec
100 ÷ 1.35582 = 73.76 ft·lb. In inch-pounds that is 73.76 × 12 = 885.1 in·lb.
80 ft·lb lug nuts to N·m
80 × 1.35582 = 108.47 N·m, and 80 × 12 = 960 in·lb.
120 in·lb on a small fastener
120 ÷ 12 = 10 ft·lb, which is 10 × 1.35582 = 13.56 N·m.
Frequently asked questions
How many foot-pounds is 1 Nm?+
1 newton-meter equals 0.737562 foot-pounds. Multiply N·m by 0.7376 for a quick conversion to ft·lb.
How do I convert ft-lb to Nm?+
Multiply foot-pounds by 1.35582. For example, 100 ft·lb × 1.35582 = 135.6 N·m.
Is ft-lb the same as lb-ft?+
For torque, yes. Engineers often write lb-ft (or lbf·ft) for torque to distinguish it from foot-pounds of energy, but the conversion to N·m is identical: 1.35582 N·m.
How many inch-pounds are in a foot-pound?+
There are 12 inch-pounds in one foot-pound, because a foot is 12 inches. So 30 ft·lb = 360 in·lb and 1 N·m ≈ 8.85 in·lb.
What is 25 Nm in ft-lbs?+
25 N·m is 18.44 ft·lb, or about 221 in·lb — a typical spark plug or small bolt torque.