Torque Converter
Newton-metres, pound-feet, pound-inches and kilogram-metres — the units a torque wrench spec sheet, a car engine's torque rating, and a bolt-tightening manual might each use differently for the exact same physical quantity.
Inputs
Result
0.737561 Pound-foot
How it works
- 11 Newton-metre → base = 1
- 2Base → Pound-foot = 0.737561
How the torque converter works
All units convert through newton-metres as the base — 1 Pound-foot = 1.35582 Nm, 1 Pound-inch = 0.112985 Nm, 1 Kilogram-metre = 9.80665 Nm.
Worked example: a bolt torqued to 25 Nm, converted to pound-feet
- 25 ÷ 1.35582 ≈ 18.44 lb-ft.
Common mistakes to avoid
Confusing pound-foot with pound-inch
These differ by a factor of 12 (since a foot is 12 inches) — using a pound-inch spec where pound-foot was intended (or vice versa) when torquing a fastener can result in either dangerous under-tightening or damaging over-tightening.
Assuming torque and work/energy (also measured in newton-metres) are the same thing
As with the Torque Calculator itself, torque and energy share the same dimensional unit (Nm) but represent conceptually different physical quantities — a rotational force versus energy transferred, which is why they're treated as distinct despite the shared unit name.
Frequently asked questions
Why is precise torque conversion important for something like bolt tightening?
Many mechanical specifications (engine components, wheel lug nuts, structural fasteners) specify an exact torque value for safety and reliability — using the wrong unit conversion when reading a spec sheet from a different regional convention could lead to a fastener being dangerously loose or damagingly over-tightened.
How is kilogram-metre used as a torque unit related to kilogram-force?
It's built from the same kilogram-force concept (the force a 1kg mass exerts under standard gravity) applied at a 1-metre lever arm — this is why its conversion factor to newton-metres (9.80665) matches kilogram-force's conversion factor to newtons exactly.
Why do US car specifications often use pound-feet for torque?
It's the conventional imperial torque unit used in US automotive and engineering contexts, analogous to how horsepower remains the conventional US power unit even as much of engineering standardises on SI units elsewhere.
How is this related to the plain Torque Calculator?
That tool computes a torque value directly from force, lever-arm distance and angle; this converter simply translates an already-known torque value between different torque units, regardless of how it was originally calculated.
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