Summary.A detailed contact analysis of a large connecting rod was performed to evaluate the fretting risk in the big end. Simulation was carried out in Abaqus considering all relevant boundary conditions, such as assembly loads, housing machining and dynamics from a flexible multibody simulation with elastohydrodynamic bearings. Being one of the most important variables, the local coefficient of friction (COF) and its evolution is calculated during the solution by using a subroutine in Abaqus. The model is validated by strain gauge measurements in a running engine. The resulted friction coefficient distribution matches well with the findings from a laboratory engine. The described methodology increases the accuracy of the fretting damage prediction by using a more realistic friction coefficient definition.