Friction coefficient is difficult to measure in real application, whether it can be replaced by friction coefficient for dynamic analysis is an urgent issue to be solved. To study the correlation between the two signals, the friction tests were carried out under dry friction, starved and flooded lubrications, respectively. Cross recurrence plot (CRP) and its measures (recurrence rate, determinism, average diagonal line length and entropy) were used to explore the correlation. The results show that the more obvious the diagonal structures in CRPs, the stronger the correlation between the two signals, and average diagonal length is more sensitive to the degree of correlation. Irrespective of lubrication conditions, friction coefficient and vibration measured in a friction system have similar recursive characteristics. Thus, friction coefficient or vibration can be selected according to the convenience of measurement to monitor the running-in process.