The paper describes an example of an experiment on sliding friction of metallic materials in which vibration measurement methods were used to identify friction induced vibrations occurring in sliding. The determination of the parameters of the motion of the critical components in the sliding system in different modes of operation allowed using the vibration signal as a source of information pertaining to the observed process. The tests performed with a metallic material were inspired by the earlier research performed with machine ceramics in which the result of vibration analysis allowed the determination of the correctness of measurement with regard to the conditions of contact and the analyses of the nature of the observed effect of vibration on the inflicted friction. The motion analysis data was used as a basis for a screening method eliminating corrupted measurements from the data set used for global evaluation of the friction characteristics. It was confirmed that, in a steel-on-steel sliding system, similar friction and vibration regimes occur as in ceramics-on-ceramics, but the effects of certain vibration modes are opposite in the two systems, despite the same load/velocity conditions.