My drone's motor mount screws are specced at 0.8 N·m, but my precision screwdriver only shows in·lb. What setting do I use?

0.8 N·m × 8.8507 ≈ 7.1 in·lb. Set the screwdriver to about 7 in·lb — overtightening small screws like these can strip the threads in plastic or aluminum housings.

A spec sheet lists 3 N·m for a sensor housing bolt. That seems too small to matter — does it really need a torque wrench?

3 N·m ≈ 26.6 in·lb, which is enough to crack a plastic housing or strip a small thread if applied with a standard screwdriver by hand. For anything below about 5 N·m, using an inch-pound torque driver is worth it on sensitive components.

Why does my engine manual list head bolts in N·m but spark plugs in a much smaller number that looks like it could be in·lb?

Larger fasteners like head bolts need more torque and are naturally specified in N·m or ft·lb, while spark plugs and small sensors require precise, low torque — inch-pounds give finer granularity. If a spark plug spec reads around 20–25 (rather than 2–3), it's likely already in N·m or ft·lb, not in·lb — check the manual's unit labels carefully.

Newton-Meters to Inch-Pounds Converter

Enter a value to instantly convert between torque units.

From

Precision4 dp

1 Newton-Meter = 8.8507 Inch-Pound

Key Formulas

Newton-Meter → Foot-Pound

ft·lb = N·m × 0.737562

Foot-Pound → Newton-Meter

N·m = ft·lb × 1.35582

Newton-Meter → Inch-Pound

in·lb = N·m × 8.85075

Inch-Pound → Newton-Meter

N·m = in·lb × 0.112985

Formula

in·lb = N·m × 8.8507457913

Small fasteners — on electronics enclosures, small engines, plumbing fittings, and precision instruments — are often specified in inch-pounds because foot-pounds or newton-meters would be awkwardly small fractions. When a metric spec sheet gives a value in N·m for these light-duty fasteners, this conversion gives the equivalent reading for an inch-pound torque wrench or screwdriver.

Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.9

Last reviewed: 2026-06-11 · see our methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

Torque spec for a small electronics panel screw.

1 N·m = 8.85 in·lb

Spark plug torque on a small engine like a lawnmower or generator.

5 N·m = 44.25 in·lb

Torque spec for a camera tripod mount or small instrument bracket.

2.5 N·m = 22.13 in·lb

Oil drain plug torque on many compact cars.

8 N·m = 70.81 in·lb

nm to ft lb ft lb to nm in lb to nm kgf m to nm nm to kgf m

Newton-Meters to Inch-Pounds Converter

Key Formulas

Formula

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

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