Convert Torque from Pound-feet (lbf-ft) to other units

Pound-foot Conversion Formulas

Pound-foot to Newton-meter Conversion Formula

To convert torque from pound-feet (lbf·ft) to newton-meters (N·m), multiply by 1.355818.

• N·m = lbf·ft × 1.355818

Step-by-Step Example

A US service manual calls for 85 lbf·ft on a cylinder head bolt, and your torque wrench is graduated in newton-meters:

1. Take the value in pound-feet: 85 lbf·ft
2. Multiply by the factor: 85 × 1.355818 = 115.24
3. Set the wrench to 115 N·m

Where You Need It

• Servicing US vehicles with metric tools — the most common case by far.
• Reading American engine specifications, which quote peak torque in lbf·ft, into metric datasheets.
• Working from older US machinery manuals in a metric workshop.

Check Whether It Is Feet or Inches

US specifications use both lbf·ft and lbf·in, and the difference is a factor of twelve. Small fasteners — electrical terminals, instrument screws, plastic housings — are usually specified in pound-inches. If a figure looks implausibly small for a pound-foot value, it is almost certainly pound-inches; multiply by 0.112985 instead to reach newton-meters.

A Sense of Scale

Pound-feet	Newton-meters
10 lbf·ft	13.6 N·m
25 lbf·ft	33.9 N·m
80 lbf·ft	108.5 N·m
150 lbf·ft	203.4 N·m

A rough field check: add a third — 90 lbf·ft is about 120 N·m.

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Pound-foot to Centinewton-meter Conversion Formula

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Pound-foot to Decinewton-meter Conversion Formula

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Pound-foot to Kilogram-meter Conversion Formula

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Pound-foot to Kilogram-centimeter Conversion Formula

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Pound-foot to Pound-inch Conversion Formula

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Pound-foot to Ounce-inch Conversion Formula

What Is a Pound-foot (lbf·ft)?

A pound-foot (lbf·ft) is the US customary unit of torque: the twisting effect of one pound-force applied at a perpendicular distance of one foot from the axis.

• 1 lbf·ft = 1.355818 N·m

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Pound-foot Versus Foot-pound

You will see both spellings, and in practice they are used interchangeably for torque. Strictly:

• Pound-foot (lbf·ft) is the correct name for torque.
• Foot-pound (ft·lb) properly describes energy — the same distinction as newton-meter versus joule.

Almost every workshop manual, torque wrench and specification sheet writes "ft-lb" and means torque. Read it as pound-foot and you will not go wrong.

Where Pound-foot Is Used

• US automotive service — wheel nuts, cylinder heads, suspension bolts.
• Engine specifications — American engines are advertised in horsepower and lbf·ft.
• Construction and heavy equipment in US markets.
• Torque wrenches sold in the United States, usually graduated in lbf·ft with a secondary N·m scale.

Everyday Reference Points

• A typical car wheel nut: 80–100 lbf·ft.
• A car oil drain plug: 25–30 lbf·ft.
• A large pickup truck engine: 400–1,000 lbf·ft.

Converting Pound-foot

From	To	Multiply by
lbf·ft	N·m	1.355818
lbf·ft	lbf·in	12
lbf·ft	ozf·in	192
lbf·ft	kgf·m	0.138255