Torque converter
Convert between newton-meters, pound-feet, pound-inches and kilogram-force meters, the numbers printed on every torque wrench and service manual.
That's 4× as much torque as a spark plug, while a car wheel nut is 1.1× more. On a 30 cm wrench, that is a pull of about 33.99 kg.
What it means
How much turn is that?
Reference torques are typical values. Always use the figure in your own service manual for wheel nuts and engine bolts.
Every unit
Your torque in every unit
Learn
Three things worth knowing
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Pound-feet to newton-meters: add a third
1 lb·ft is 1.356 N·m, so adding a third gets you close: 100 lb·ft is about 133 N·m. The exact answer is 135.6 N·m.
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Why a longer wrench is easier
Torque is force times the length of the lever, so doubling the wrench halves the push needed. That is the whole trick behind breaker bars.
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Pound-feet, not foot-pounds
Torque is lb·ft; energy is ft·lb. They carry the same numbers and mean different things, and lb·in is a twelfth of lb·ft, not the same figure.
Shortcuts
Popular torque conversions
Background
About torque units
Torque is turning force: how hard you push multiplied by how far you are from the pivot. The SI unit is the newton-meter, one newton applied one meter out.
US manuals use pound-feet for big fasteners and pound-inches for small ones, which differ by a factor of 12 and are easy to confuse.