Surface integrity is dictated by the fabrication process of the metal part. In this work, steel specimens were prepared under various mechine conditions to achieve different degrees of deformation state. The tribological characteristics of the speciments were tested using a pin-on-disk type apparatus and other surface characterization tools. It is shown that though frictional characteristics are similar, the wear rate is significantrly affected by the properties of the surface. In the case of steel, surface cracks resulted in high wear despite the relatively high hardness of the specimen. Also, the sliding action were found to reduce the residual stress on the surface. These results indicate that there is a strong relationship between surface integrity and the tribological properties of steel, and therefore the machining condition should be optimized woth respect to tribological performance of a steel part