The article investigated the process of applying antifriction coatings to the surface of hardened cast iron gear wheels. The diffusion coating of cast iron wheels with vanadium greatly strengthened the surface and increased its wear resistance. Aluminium, tin bronze and copper were used as antifriction materials. The coating was applied with metal brushes. The brushes tore off individual fragments of anti-friction metal particles and smeared them over the surface of the coated product. Research results have confirmed the acceptability of this method instead of expensive finishing operations that cannot be applied to diffusion-hardened gears due to the shallow depth of the vanadium coating. The proposed method is universal for all types of metal products operating under sliding friction conditions. Results are presented as spatial histograms.