Inch-Pounds to Foot-Pounds Converter

How to convert inch-pounds to foot-pounds

1 inch-pound = 0.0833333333 foot-pounds. To convert inch-pounds to foot-pounds, divide by 12 (or multiply by 0.0833333333). An inch-pound (in·lbf) is one pound-force applied one inch from the pivot, 1/12 of a foot-pound, about 0.11298 N·m. A foot-pound (ft·lbf) is one pound-force applied one foot from the pivot, exactly 1.3558179483314 N·m.

Worked examples

• 89 inch-pounds = 7.41667 ft·lb (89 ÷ 12)
• 106 inch-pounds = 8.83333 ft·lb (106 ÷ 12)
• 200 inch-pounds = 16.6667 ft·lb (200 ÷ 12)

Where this conversion comes up

Inch-pounds are used for small fasteners, bicycle parts, scopes, valve covers and inch-pound torque wrenches; foot-pounds for lug nuts, engine torque and torque wrenches in the US. Small bolts (valve covers, oil-pan and transmission-pan bolts, bicycle stems, scope rings) are specified in inch-pounds, while most click torque wrenches only go down to 10 or 20 ft-lb. Twelve inch-pounds make one foot-pound, so the common 89 in-lb spec is 7.4 ft-lb, 106 in-lb is 8.8 ft-lb and 177 in-lb is 14.75 ft-lb. Mixing the two up over-tightens a bolt twelve times, which strips aluminum threads; use an inch-pound wrench when the result is below your wrench's lower limit, because click wrenches are usually only rated for accuracy from 20% of their range upward (ISO 6789).

Quick estimate

Divide by 12: 120 in-lb = 10 ft-lb.

Common mistakes

• Multiplying instead of dividing. A foot-pound is larger than a inch-pound, so the number of foot-pounds must come out smaller: 89 inch-pounds = 7.41667 ft·lb.
• Rounding too early. Keep the full factor until the last step; rounding 0.0833 to 0.083 first puts large values noticeably off.

Related torque converters: nm to ft-lbs, ft-lbs to nm.