A method and apparatus for regulating the contact force between two frictionally-engaged torque-transmitting components of a motor vehicle drive system. A contact force between an endless torque-transmitting device and a pair of conical disks of a continuously variable transmission is determined by an adjusting value that is a function of a preliminary adjusting value and a regulator output value. The preliminary adjusting value is determined by the value of at least one operating parameter of the drive system, and the regulator output value is determined by comparing the actual value of an operating parameter with a target value of the operating parameter.