Inch-Pounds to Foot-Pounds (in·lb to ft·lb)
A foot-pound is 12 inch-pounds, so 12 in·lb is 1 ft·lb, 60 in·lb is 5 ft·lb and 100 in·lb is 8.33 ft·lb. Newton meters are shown too.
1 lb·in =
0.08333 lb·ft
- Exact
- 0.0833333333 lb·ft
- newton meters
- 0.113 N·m
pound-feet = pound-inches ÷ 12
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How to convert inch-pounds to foot-pounds
Divide the inch-pounds by 12:
ft·lb = in·lb ÷ 12
100 in·lb ÷ 12 = 8.33 ft·lb. The factor is exact: a foot is 12 inches, and torque is force times distance, so the same force at 12 inches is one foot-pound. The result also shows newton meters. To go the other way, multiply foot-pounds by 12.
Inch-pounds to foot-pounds chart
| Pound-inches (lb·in) | Pound-feet (lb·ft) |
|---|---|
| 12 lb·in | 1 lb·ft |
| 24 lb·in | 2 lb·ft |
| 30 lb·in | 2.5 lb·ft |
| 36 lb·in | 3 lb·ft |
| 48 lb·in | 4 lb·ft |
| 50 lb·in | 4.167 lb·ft |
| 60 lb·in | 5 lb·ft |
| 72 lb·in | 6 lb·ft |
| 84 lb·in | 7 lb·ft |
| 90 lb·in | 7.5 lb·ft |
| 100 lb·in | 8.333 lb·ft |
| 120 lb·in | 10 lb·ft |
| 150 lb·in | 12.5 lb·ft |
| 180 lb·in | 15 lb·ft |
| 200 lb·in | 16.67 lb·ft |
| 240 lb·in | 20 lb·ft |
| 300 lb·in | 25 lb·ft |
Which wrench to use
| Range | Typical uses | Wrench |
|---|---|---|
| 20–200 in·lb | bike parts, valve covers, small engine bolts | 1/4-inch drive, inch-pounds |
| 10–80 ft·lb | spark plugs, brake calipers, small cars | 3/8-inch drive, foot-pounds |
| 50–250 ft·lb | lug nuts, suspension, trucks | 1/2-inch drive, foot-pounds |
Click-type torque wrenches are least accurate at the bottom of their range, so a spec of 90 in·lb (7.5 ft·lb) belongs on an inch-pound wrench rather than near the bottom of a foot-pound one. Always follow the manual’s value and units. When a spec gives a range, such as 80–100 in·lb, aim for the middle of it rather than the top.
Wrench accuracy
Click-type torque wrenches are usually rated at ±4% clockwise within 20% to 100% of their scale. On a 20–100 ft·lb wrench, 4% of 7.5 ft·lb is 0.3 ft·lb — but below 20 ft·lb the error is not guaranteed at all, which is the real reason small specs move to an inch-pound wrench. To check the tolerance band for your own value, the percentage calculator gives 4% of any number. A pound of force here is the weight of one pound of mass; for mass conversions see kg to lbs.
Inch-pounds and newton meters
One inch-pound is 0.113 N·m, and one newton meter is 8.85 inch-pounds. European and Japanese specs for small fasteners are often 5–10 N·m — 44 to 89 in·lb. For converting newton meters, see Nm to ft-lbs.
A note on names
For torque, inch-pounds, pound-inches, in-lbs and lb-in all mean the same thing: a pound of force at a distance of one inch. Engineers sometimes write ft·lb for energy and lb·ft for torque to keep the two apart, but tool makers use both orders. The conversion by 12 is the same either way. For lengths in feet and inches on the same job, the feet to inches converter uses the same factor.