What Tire Size Is Equivalent To 35 12.50 R20? | Best Match

The closest common metric match for a 35×12.50R20 tire is usually 315/60R20, with near-identical height and width.

If you’re moving from flotation sizing to metric sizing, 315/60R20 is the size most people want. It keeps the same 20-inch wheel diameter, stays almost dead on in overall height, and lands close in section width.

That does not mean every 315/60R20 will fit every truck that ran a 35×12.50R20. Tire brands measure a bit differently. Tread blocks can run wide. Sidewalls can bulge more or less. Wheel width, offset, suspension lift, and fender clearance still call the shots.

So the clean answer is this: 315/60R20 is the nearest everyday metric equivalent, while 325/60R20 is the next size many shoppers eye when they want a touch more width and don’t mind a taller tire.

What Tire Size Is Equivalent To 35 12.50 R20? The Closest Metric Match

A 35×12.50R20 tells you three things right away: the tire is about 35 inches tall, about 12.5 inches wide, and built for a 20-inch wheel. To find the closest metric size, you match those same three targets as closely as you can.

How The Math Works

Here’s the quick breakdown for a 35×12.50R20:

• Overall diameter: 35 inches
• Section width: 12.5 inches, or 317.5 mm
• Wheel diameter: 20 inches

Now take 315/60R20. The 315 means the tire is 315 mm wide, which is about 12.4 inches. The 60 means the sidewall height is 60% of that width. That gives you an overall diameter of about 34.9 inches. Put those numbers next to 35×12.50R20 and the fit is tight: the tire is only a hair shorter and a hair narrower.

That’s why 315/60R20 keeps showing up as the closest match. It does not just “look close.” It lands close on the numbers that affect stance, speedometer reading, and clearance.

Why Not 325/60R20 First?

325/60R20 also sits near this size range, but it is wider and taller. That can be fine on a truck with room to spare, yet it is not the nearest one-to-one swap. If you want the metric size that stays truest to 35×12.50R20, 315/60R20 wins.

How The Sidewall Numbers Translate

If the metric code still feels cryptic, Goodyear’s sidewall size breakdown lays out what each number means: width in millimeters, sidewall ratio, construction, and wheel diameter. Once you read sizes that way, the jump from flotation sizing to metric sizing gets much easier.

The part that trips most people up is the middle number. In a metric tire, that number is not sidewall height in inches. It is a percentage. So a 60-series tire changes height when width changes. That’s why 315/60R20 and 325/60R20 sit farther apart than they may look at a glance.

Tire Size	Approx. Diameter × Width	Match Notes
35×12.50R20	35.0″ × 12.5″	Baseline flotation size
315/60R20	34.9″ × 12.4″	Closest common metric match
325/60R20	35.4″ × 12.8″	Taller and wider; needs more room
305/65R20	35.6″ × 12.0″	Tall but runs narrower
295/65R20	35.1″ × 11.6″	Close in height, slimmer footprint
315/55R20	33.6″ × 12.4″	Same width ballpark, shorter overall
305/60R20	34.4″ × 12.0″	Shorter and a bit narrower
33×12.50R20	33.0″ × 12.5″	Same flotation width, smaller diameter

Other Close Sizes And What They Change

If you can’t get 315/60R20 in the tread pattern or load range you want, the next step is deciding which trait matters more: height, width, or clearance.

315/60R20

This is the size to start with. It stays close to a true 35, keeps the width you’d expect from a 12.50 tire, and usually gives the least drama with gearing and speedometer change. On many trucks, it also keeps the same visual balance that made 35×12.50R20 popular in the first place.

325/60R20

This one gives you a fuller, meatier stance. It can look great on a truck with the right wheel and enough space. But it is not a straight equivalent. It runs taller, wider, and heavier in many tire lines. That can mean a little more rubbing near the upper control arm, sway bar, mud flap, or pinch weld.

305/65R20

This size gets close on height but trims width. Some drivers like that mix because it cuts a bit of poke and still fills the wheel well. The tradeoff is simple: it does not mimic the 12.50-inch width as closely as 315/60R20.

BFGoodrich’s page on changing tire size on a car is a handy reminder that sizing swaps are not just about diameter. Load and inflation tables matter too, especially if you’re changing from one construction type to another.

Fit Checks Before You Order

Before you hit buy, run through a few garage-level checks. This is where a smart swap stays smart.

• Check wheel width. Many 315 tires want a wider wheel than some stock 20-inch setups provide.
• Check offset and backspacing. A tire can clear the suspension and still rub the fender liner.
• Check load range. A P-metric tire and an LT tire can share a size label and still feel nothing alike.
• Check real measured specs from the brand you’re buying. Printed size is only the starting point.
• Check full-lock and full-compression clearance, not just parked clearance.

If your current tire is an LT35x12.50R20, the nearest metric target is often LT315/60R20, not just any 315/60R20. That LT prefix changes the tire’s intended use and load setup. It can also change ride feel by a lot.

Check	What To Read	Why It Matters
Wheel Diameter	20 inches	Must stay the same for this swap
Section Width	315 mm vs. 325 mm	Changes poke and inside clearance
Overall Diameter	34.9″ vs. 35.4″	Changes speedometer and gearing feel
Load Type	P-metric or LT	Changes ride and hauling feel
Wheel Width Range	Brand spec sheet	Keeps the tire seated the way it should
Clearance Points	UCA, liner, flap, pinch weld	These are the usual rub spots

The Size Most Buyers End Up Choosing

If your goal is the closest metric equivalent to 35×12.50R20, start with 315/60R20. It is the nearest match on paper and, in a lot of real truck setups, the nearest match on the road too. You keep the 20-inch wheel, stay just under a true 35-inch height, and hold onto nearly the same width.

Jump to 325/60R20 only if you want a bulkier tire and already know your truck has room for it. Drop to 305/65R20 only if you want the height more than the width. For most shoppers, 315/60R20 lands right in the sweet spot.

So if someone asks what tire size is equivalent to 35 12.50 R20, the clean answer is 315/60R20, with a small footnote: check the brand’s measured specs, your wheel width, and your truck’s clearance before you order.