Convert Pound-force Feet to Poundal Feet
Pound-force Foot (lbf·ft) to Poundal Foot (pdl·ft) unit conversion — enter any value below to get an instant result, or use the table for common values.
Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.
Result
1 lbf·ft = 32.174049 pdl·ft
1 Pound-force Foot = 32.174049 Poundal Feet
1 Poundal Foot = 0.03108095 Pound-force Feet
1 lbf·ft in every supported unit
Conversion chart: Pound-force Foot to Poundal Feet
Conversion table
| Pound-force Foot (lbf·ft) | Poundal Foot (pdl·ft) |
|---|---|
| 0.01 lbf·ft | 0.32174049 pdl·ft |
| 0.1 lbf·ft | 3.2174049 pdl·ft |
| 1 lbf·ft | 32.174049 pdl·ft |
| 2 lbf·ft | 64.348097 pdl·ft |
| 3 lbf·ft | 96.522146 pdl·ft |
| 5 lbf·ft | 160.87024 pdl·ft |
| 10 lbf·ft | 321.74049 pdl·ft |
| 20 lbf·ft | 643.48097 pdl·ft |
| 50 lbf·ft | 1608.7024 pdl·ft |
| 100 lbf·ft | 3217.4049 pdl·ft |
| 1000 lbf·ft | 32174.049 pdl·ft |
Pound-force Foot (lbf·ft)
Definition: The US customary torque unit, equal to the twisting effect of a 1-pound-force applied at a 1-foot radius — the standard unit for engine and drivetrain torque ratings in the United States.
History: Built from the pound-force and foot units of the English Engineering System, established as the standard American automotive and mechanical torque unit throughout the 20th century.
Current use: The primary unit for engine torque ratings on US vehicle spec sheets, torque wrench settings for lug nuts and engine bolts, and power tool torque specifications throughout North America.
Poundal Foot (pdl·ft)
Definition: A torque unit from the English Engineering System's "absolute" branch, equal to the twisting effect of a 1-poundal force applied at a 1-foot radius — the imperial mass-based analog of the newton meter rather than a gravitational unit.
History: Introduced alongside the poundal in 19th-century British engineering and physics as an imperial torque unit derived purely from mass and acceleration rather than Earth's gravity, avoiding the ambiguity of gravitational "force" units.
Current use: Rarely used today outside historical British engineering texts and physics education contexts illustrating the mass-based vs. gravity-based imperial unit systems.
Supported Units
| Unit | Symbol | In Newton Meters |
|---|---|---|
| Newton Meter | N·m | 1 N·m |
| Newton Centimeter | N·cm | 0.01 N·m |
| Kilonewton Meter | kN·m | 1000 N·m |
| Kilogram-force Meter | kgf·m | 9.80665 N·m |
| Kilogram-force Centimeter | kgf·cm | 0.0980665 N·m |
| Gram-force Meter | gf·m | 0.00980665 N·m |
| Pound-force Foot | lbf·ft | 1.3558179 N·m |
| Pound-force Inch | lbf·in | 0.11298483 N·m |
| Ounce-force Inch | ozf·in | 0.0070615518 N·m |
| Poundal Foot | pdl·ft | 0.04214011 N·m |
About These Parameters
- Value
- The number you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals.
- From Unit
- The torque unit your input value is currently measured in.
- To Unit
- The torque unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly.
How Torque Conversion Works
The Formula
Every unit here is defined by a fixed multiplier relative to the newton meter. To convert a value from one unit to another:
result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)
For Pound-force Foot → Poundal Foot: multiply by 32.174049. For example, 1 lbf·ft × 32.174049 = 32.174049 pdl·ft.
Engine Torque and Horsepower
Engine torque is the twisting force a crankshaft delivers at a given moment, and it's what actually gets a vehicle moving from a stop — horsepower, by contrast, is torque multiplied by engine speed (rpm), so a high-torque engine can feel much stronger off the line even with a modest horsepower rating. Torque wrenches use these same units to tighten fasteners to a manufacturer-specified value: too little torque and a bolt can loosen under vibration, too much and it can strip threads, stretch the fastener past its yield point, or crack the material it's threaded into.
Torque vs. Moment of Force: Same Physics, Different Context
Torque and moment of force share the exact same units and formula (force × radius or lever-arm distance), but engineering convention reserves "torque" for twisting effects on rotating shafts, engines, motors, and fasteners, while "moment" describes bending effects in stationary structures like beams and columns. There's no physical difference between a "50 N·m torque" and a "50 N·m moment"; the distinction is purely about which kind of problem — a spinning drivetrain versus a static beam — an engineer is solving, which is why this site offers a separate Moment of Force Converter for the structural use case.
Example
1 lbf·ft equals 32.174049 pdl·ft. For scale, a mid-size sedan's engine might produce around 300 N·m of peak torque — roughly 221.26864 lbf·ft — while a typical lug nut on a passenger car is torqued to about 100-140 N·m with a torque wrench during a tire change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Poundal Feet are in 1 Pound-force Foot?
1 Pound-force Foot (lbf·ft) equals exactly 32.174049 Poundal Feet (pdl·ft).
What's the difference between torque and horsepower?
Torque is the twisting force an engine or motor produces at a given instant; horsepower is torque multiplied by rotational speed (rpm), representing the rate at which work is done. An engine can have high torque at low rpm (good for towing and acceleration off the line) without necessarily having high peak horsepower, which depends on how well torque is sustained across the rev range.
Why do torque wrench specifications sometimes use kgf·cm or lbf·in instead of N·m?
Torque specifications scale with fastener size: large bolts (engine mounts, lug nuts) are naturally reported in newton meters or pound-force feet, while small fasteners (electronics, small appliances, camera mounts) need finer-grained units like newton centimeters, kilogram-force centimeters, or pound-force/ounce-force inches to avoid awkward decimals.
How accurate are these conversions?
Every conversion factor used here is the exact, internationally recognized value (e.g. 1 lbf·ft = exactly 1.3558179483314 N·m, derived from the internationally standardized pound, foot, and standard gravity) — results are limited only by floating-point display precision, not by rounded conversion constants.