Inch Pounds to Foot Pounds Converter
A foot-pound is exactly 12 inch-pounds, because a foot is 12 inches. Enter a torque value, pick the direction, and get the conversion with the newton meter equivalent.
Example: with Torque value 89 · Direction inch-pounds → foot-pounds → Converted torque: 7.42 ft-lb.
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
🔧 An inch-pound wrench for low-torque jobs
Check it outInch pounds to foot pounds: divide by 12
Because one foot is exactly 12 inches, in-lb ÷ 12 = ft-lb and ft-lb × 12 = in-lb — no rounded constants involved. The default 89 in-lb (a common caliper or drain-plug spec) is 89 ÷ 12 = 7.42 ft-lb. Going bigger: 275 in-lb = 22.92 ft-lb, and 2,000 in-lb = 166.67 ft-lb. In reverse, a 30 ft-lb spec is 360 in-lb.
Both units exist because torque wrenches have limited accurate ranges. Specs under roughly 15 ft-lb (180 in-lb) — valve covers, oil pans, electronics, bike parts — are usually published in inch-pounds so you’ll grab an in-lb tool, which is far more accurate down low than a big ft-lb clicker used at the bottom of its scale. Metric spec sheet instead? 1 ft-lb = 1.355818 N·m and 1 in-lb = 0.112985 N·m.
How it’s calculated
Foot-pounds = inch-pounds ÷ 12; inch-pounds = foot-pounds × 12 (exact, since 1 ft = 12 in). Newton meters use the exact definitions 1 in·lbf = 0.112984829 N·m and 1 ft·lbf = 1.3558179483 N·m (NIST SP 811).
Results update as you type and are estimates, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
Common mistakes
- Multiplying when you should divide — the inch-pound number is always 12× larger than the same torque in foot-pounds.
- Setting an in-lb spec directly on a ft-lb wrench — 89 on the dial instead of 7.4 will strip or snap the fastener.
- Treating lb-ft and ft-lb as different units — they’re the same torque unit written in either order.
Frequently asked questions
How many inch pounds are in a foot pound?
Exactly 12. The conversion is definitional — a foot is 12 inches — so 1 ft-lb = 12 in-lb with no rounding.
What is 89 inch pounds in foot pounds?
89 ÷ 12 = 7.42 ft-lb. That’s below the accurate range of most 3/8-drive clickers, which is why such specs are printed in inch-pounds.
How do I convert foot pounds to inch pounds?
Multiply by 12. A 30 ft-lb spec equals 360 in-lb; 2,000 in-lb goes the other way to 166.67 ft-lb.
How do these relate to newton meters?
1 ft-lb = 1.355818 N·m and 1 in-lb = 0.112985 N·m. So 89 in-lb ≈ 10.06 N·m — the calculator shows this row automatically.