Torque Converter

How to use the torque converter

1. Type the amount you want to convert.
2. Choose the unit you have and the unit you want.
3. Read the result, or use the table showing all 6 units at once.

About this tool

Torque is force applied at a distance from a pivot, so every unit here is a force unit multiplied by a length unit. Newton metres and pound-feet are the two in common use, and the factor between them is about 1.356.

Pound-inches turn up on smaller fasteners and are exactly a twelfth of a pound-foot, which is easy to get wrong by a factor of twelve when reading a specification quickly.

One point of confusion worth naming: torque and energy share the same dimensions. A newton metre and a joule are the same combination of units, and yet they are different quantities that are never interchangeable. Torque is a rotational effort; energy is work done. The convention is to write torque in newton metres and never in joules, precisely to keep them apart.

Common uses

• Converting a bolt torque specification between metric and imperial.
• Reading an engine output figure given in the other system.
• Checking a torque wrench setting.

Frequently asked questions

How many newton metres is a pound-foot?

1.3558179483314004 exactly. Around 1.356 is close enough for a torque wrench.

Why are torque and energy not the same?

They share units dimensionally but are different quantities — torque is rotational effort, energy is work done. By convention torque is written in newton metres and never in joules, to keep them distinct.