Torque Conversion Calculator: Nm, ft-lb, in-lb, kg-cm

Torque Conversion Calculator

Convert between newton-meters, foot-pounds, inch-pounds, inch-ounces, kilogram-centimeters, kilogram-meters, and dyne-centimeters. Every value is canonicalized to Nm, then shown in all common torque units at once.

🎯Real Torque Presets

📝Conversion Inputs

Torque value to convert

Enter any positive or negative value. Sign is preserved.

Convert from unit

Convert to unit

Decimal places

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Newton-meters 0 Nm (SI base torque)

Foot-pounds 0 ft-lb (SAE common)

Inch-pounds 0 in-lb (12 per ft-lb)

Kg-centimeters 0 kg-cm (metric wrench)

🔢Conversion Method

NmBase unit

×fInput to Nm

÷gNm to target

7Units supported

📊All Units At A Glance

Unit	Symbol	Converted Value	Share Of Base Nm
Enter a value above to see it expressed in every supported unit.

🗂Torque Conversion Factor Table

Unit	Symbol	1 Unit In Nm	1 Nm In Unit	Family
Newton-meter	Nm	1.0000000	1.0000000	SI metric
Foot-pound	ft-lb	1.3558179	0.7375621	Imperial SAE
Inch-pound	in-lb	0.1129848	8.8507458	Imperial SAE
Inch-ounce	in-oz	0.0070616	141.611933	Imperial small
Kilogram-centimeter	kg-cm	0.0980665	10.1971621	Gravitational metric
Kilogram-meter	kg-m	9.8066500	0.1019716	Gravitational metric
Dyne-centimeter	dyn-cm	0.0000001	10000000	CGS metric

🔩Common Fastener Torque Reference

Fastener	Typical ft-lb	Nm	in-lb	Notes
Passenger car lug nuts	80 to 100	108 to 136	960 to 1200	Star pattern, check placard
Truck / SUV lug nuts	120 to 150	163 to 203	1440 to 1800	Larger studs, retorque
Spark plugs (aluminum head)	13 to 22	18 to 30	156 to 264	Never overtighten threads
Oil drain plug	18 to 30	24 to 41	216 to 360	Replace crush washer
Cylinder head bolt (final)	60 to 90	81 to 122	720 to 1080	Often plus angle turn
Bicycle stem / seatpost	4 to 6	5 to 8	44 to 66	Carbon parts need care
Small electronics screw	0.1 to 0.4	0.14 to 0.5	1.5 to 4.5	Measured in in-oz often

🔧Metric To SAE Wrench Reference

Nm	ft-lb	in-lb	kg-cm	Range Use
5	3.69	44.25	50.99	Delicate trim, bicycle
10	7.38	88.51	101.97	Interior, brackets
25	18.44	221.27	254.93	Spark plugs, small bolts
50	36.88	442.54	509.86	Suspension, brakes
100	73.76	885.07	1019.72	Lug nuts, axle bolts
150	110.63	1327.61	1529.57	Heavy suspension
250	184.39	2212.69	2549.29	Crank pulley, hubs
350	258.15	3097.76	3569.01	Large axle, flywheel

⚙Full Formula Breakdown

Base unitEvery conversion routes through the newton-meter (Nm), the SI unit of torque, so any pair of units stays consistent.

Step 1 to Nmvalue_in_Nm = input × factor. Factors: Nm 1, ft-lb 1.3558179, in-lb 0.1129848, in-oz 0.00706155, kg-cm 0.0980665, kg-m 9.80665, dyn-cm 0.0000001.

Step 2 from Nmresult = value_in_Nm ÷ target_factor, using the same factor list for the destination unit.

Direct factorCombined factor = from_factor ÷ to_factor, so result = input × (from_factor ÷ to_factor) in one step.

SAE relationship1 ft-lb = 12 in-lb and 1 in-lb = 16 in-oz, so 1 ft-lb = 192 in-oz within the imperial family.

Gravitational unitskg-cm and kg-m use standard gravity 9.80665 m/s², so 1 kg-m = 100 kg-cm = 9.80665 Nm.

📋Unit Family Reference

Unit	Where Used	Best For	Watch Out For
Newton-meter	Global, service manuals	Auto, industrial, SI work	Confused with joules by name
Foot-pound	United States automotive	Lug nuts, large bolts	Do not mix with lb-ft weight sense
Inch-pound	US small fasteners	Trim, electronics, brackets	12 in-lb equals 1 ft-lb
Inch-ounce	Very light precision work	Instruments, tiny screws	16 in-oz equals 1 in-lb
Kilogram-centimeter	Asian metric wrenches	Motorcycles, small engines	Gravity based, not pure SI
Kilogram-meter	Older metric manuals	Larger metric fasteners	1 kg-m equals 100 kg-cm
Dyne-centimeter	Physics, CGS system	Lab and academic use	Tiny value, 1e-7 Nm each

💡Practical Torque Tips

Match the range tip: A torque wrench is most accurate in the middle of its range. Convert the spec into the wrench unit first, then confirm the number falls within that tool's rated band before you pull.

Small fastener tip: For light screws, switch to in-lb or in-oz so you are not reading a tiny fraction of a foot-pound. Remember 1 ft-lb equals 12 in-lb and each in-lb equals 16 in-oz.

A lot of times, it’s panic when you’ve got this thing and they list something different on service manual. Your tools say one unit and their engine block says something else. They requires newton-meters, but you have a wrench set calibrated to foot-pounds. Maybe the bike is an old one that requires kilogram-centimeters or maybe your only adjustable wrench is set for inch-pounds. All of these units makes routine maintenance turn into some kind of mental math.

Once you plug in the numbers, the calculator does the math for you. It spares you having to guess at conversions and coefficients. The confusion come from the fact that torque is a force that’s measured at a distance, but cultures measure that force differently. In SI terms, that’s called a newton-meter. It’s the standard base used in engineering. One newton of force applied to a one-meter-long lever arm equal one newton-meter. This is the metric used by most moddern cars, it integrates cleanly with other SI measurements.

Why Torque Conversion Matters for Safety

But North American automotive culture are rooted in imperial units. U.S. Service manuals often use foot-pounds. Interior trim or small fasteners such as spark plugs will be measured in inch-pounds. They is both just different measurements of the exact same physical thing. The pound-foot just makes sense since it’s a measurement of both feet (leverage) and pounds of force. These are units we experience every day.

A kilogram-centimeter, on the other hand, is based off gravity using metric standards. This require a different way of thinking when converting from system to system, especially if you think more in terms of “force” than “mass. Each unit in the table on the page relates to base measure of newton-meter. Looking at them all together will also help you see that a foot-pound is equal to 1.35582 newton-meters. That’s pretty close to 1.4, good enough for ballpark guesses, but not precise enough for final adjustments with critical engine part.

That’s why precision is important, over-torquing can crack the aluminum head and strip out threads; under-torquing leaves you with a loose bolt and potentially a safety issue. Rounded numbers or just “going by feel” are risky. It may take exactly 18 foot-pounds to tighten a spark plug. That equates to about 24 newton-meters. And if you round down to 20 Nm based off a vague sense of “less torque,” you is leaving the seal under pressure. Now that bolt remains under pressure and there’s no seal. But what happens when you round up? Crushed gasket… yikes!

The converter displays everything at once. So not only do you know how much torque you want, but you know exactly where it falls in relation to the scale of your tool. You no longer have to hunt around for a different conversion chart or scroll through dropdowns. Smaller fasteners can be a problem as it becomes difficult to see small numbers on a scale and visualize what it mean.

When you work with precise instruments like bike parts, delicate electronics, or the screws that hold them together, units like the inch-ounce or dyne-centimeter becomes important. A fraction of a pound makes all the difference between breaking something apart or tightening it down properly. Unless you are a physicist most folks has never heard of dyne-centimeters. For those that deal with tiny machines every day, accuracy become a priority. These smaller units is supported by the tool. Otherwise you’re forced to guess fractions of foot pounds and errors creep in there.

You should of checked it first. It’s not so much math as respect: The spec tells you what torque to use to convert, and manufacturers test those fasteners in particular circumstances. They know how hard they should of turned them to get good clamping without deforming. Your part? Match that number, whatever the language it comes in. Eliminate the units conversion problems and concentrate on the mechanics, not the arithmetic.

Small thing, yes; important if the engine depends on each bolt being precisely where it’s supposed to be.