AbstractIn the present paper, a new analytical methodology to estimate both crack path and lifetime of metallic structural components under fretting fatigue elastic partial slip loading condition is proposed. Such a methodology consists in the joint application of (a) the criterion by Carpinteri et al for metallic structures under multiaxial constant amplitude fatigue loading in high‐cycle fatigue regime, (b) the critical direction method by Araújo et al, and (c) the critical distance method by Taylor, in the form of the line method. The accuracy of the above methodology is evaluated through experimental tests available in the literature, performed employing two cylindrical fretting pads pressed with a constant normal load against a dog‐bone type test specimen subjected to a cyclic axial load. All these components are made of Al 7075‐T651 aluminium alloy.