Nm to lb-ft and kgf·m converter: engine torque units
Convert engine torque between newton metres, pound-force feet (lb-ft) and kilogram-force metres (kgf·m) with NIST's factors: 1 lbf·ft = 1.355818 Nm, 1 kgf·m = 9.80665 Nm.
Enter a number, for example 500 or 7.5.
- newton metre
- 2,500 Nm
- pound-force foot
- 1,843.9 lbf·ft
- kilogram-force metre
- 254.9 kgf·m
Common values
| Nm | lbf·ft | kgf·m |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 368.8 | 50.99 |
| 1,000 | 737.6 | 102 |
| 1,500 | 1,106.3 | 153 |
| 2,000 | 1,475.1 | 203.9 |
| 2,200 | 1,622.6 | 224.3 |
| 2,500 | 1,843.9 | 254.9 |
| 2,800 | 2,065.2 | 285.5 |
| 3,000 | 2,212.7 | 305.9 |
| 3,500 | 2,581.5 | 356.9 |
| 4,000 | 2,950.2 | 407.9 |
Three units for one quantity
Engine torque appears on data sheets in three units. The newton metre is the SI unit, written N·m by NIST and Nm on most European sheets. The pound-force foot, lbf·ft, is written lb-ft on US sheets such as Freightliner’s. The kilogram-force metre, kgf·m, is also written kgm, or kpm (kilopond metre) in German. Ford Trucks gives the F-MAX’s Ecotorq at 2,600 Nm, which is 1,917.7 lb-ft or 265.1 kgf·m.
The formulas
| Convert | Multiply by | Inverse |
|---|---|---|
| lbf·ft to Nm | 1.355818 | Nm to lbf·ft: × 0.7375621 |
| kgf·m to Nm | 9.80665 | Nm to kgf·m: × 0.1019716 |
| lbf·ft to kgf·m | 0.1382550 | kgf·m to lbf·ft: × 7.233014 |
The first two factors are NIST’s; the others are their quotients and reciprocals (our arithmetic).
Where the factors come from
NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8, gives “pound-force foot (lbf · ft)” as 1.355 818 N·m, to seven significant digits, and “kilogram-force meter (kgf · m)” as 9.806 65 N·m, printed in bold as an exact factor: the kilogram-force is the force of standard gravity, 9.806 65 m/s², on one kilogram. The calculator uses both as printed and rounds only the result it displays.
Torque and power
Torque and power are different quantities and the calculator does not turn one into the other: power is torque multiplied by engine speed. The kW to hp converter handles power.
Quick answers
- How many lb-ft is 2,600 Nm?
- 1,917.7 lb-ft: 2,600 divided by 1.355818. In kilogram-force metres it is 265.1 kgf·m.
- How do I convert lb-ft to Nm?
- Multiply by 1.355818: 1,900 lb-ft is 2,576.1 Nm.
- What is kgm in Nm?
- kgm is the kilogram-force metre, kgf·m. It is exactly 9.80665 Nm, because the kilogram-force is defined with standard gravity, 9.80665 m/s².
Sources
- NIST Guide to the SI (Special Publication 811), Appendix B.8: Factors for units listed alphabetically — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- F-MAX series — Technical Features, July 2026 — Ford Trucks