CL RC6 Brake Pads
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The first thing you’ll notice about them is the incredibly high, yet controllable bite. You’ll likely use less pedal pressure than you’re accustomed to, which means no more standing on your brake pedal praying for the car to stop while diving into turns. You’ll also have incredible cold bite, which is of great value to autoX and Time Attack participants, who typically have little or no time to warm up their brakes prior to timed runs. Regardless of your engine package, tires, or the track you’re driving, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever fade the RC6 compound. Since the material is so dense, the RC6 feels rock-hard underfoot. The RC6 has become a bread and butter pad among rally drivers in Europe due to its relentless bite in every imaginable track and weather condition. Most experienced drivers have a ‘wow’ moment the first time they drive the RC6, as they’ve never felt anything quite like it before. The RC6 is typically used on the front of most cars, although it’s a great rear pad option if RC8 is being used on the front.


*Note on Pad Size
Sintered materials tend to expand more than other types of pads under high heat track conditions. CL allows for greater expansion by manufacturing their pads to a smaller initial size. You therefore may experience some movement of the pad within the caliper, which can result in a clunking sound, and is most noticeable when changing directions (front to reverse, etc.). Please keep in mind that these are racing pads, and some NVH can be expected!
While most pads are formed from fibers and organic materials bonded together by resins, CL Brakes Sintered Pads begin as powdered metals such as iron, bronze, and copper, mixed with roughly ten other constituent materials including graphite and carbon. The mix is compressed in a tool under extreme pressure to give it shape, and then brazed onto a backing plate in an oven at 1800F. The resulting material is characterized by a consistently high coefficient of friction, stability at high temperatures, and an extremely low wear rates.
CL Brakes originally created sintered brake materials for military applications such as tanks, helicopters, and airplanes, as well as high speed freight and passenger trains like France's TGV. After extensive development, the technology was successfully introduced in motorcycle applications. The most recent development has focused on aligning the sintered technology with racecars. CL Brakes have now been used successfully at the highest levels of motorsport, including World Rally Championship (WRC) and NASCAR Sprint Cup.
| Essex Part # | 07 4000 18.0 RC6 |
| Manufacturer Part # | 4000RC6 |
| FMSI # | |
| Composition | Sintered |
| Category | Full Race |
| Max Operating Temp* | 1800F |
| Dust | High |
| Noise | High |
| Bite / Mu | Very High |
| Judder/Vibration | Low |
| Pad wear | Moderate |
| Rotor wear | Moderate |
Because of their higher metal content, CL Sintered Pads don't rely on a pad transfer layer to generate high levels of friction. The only recommended bed-in after install is to do a few moderately hard stops to seat the pads flush with the rotor face. That's it. When the pads heat to a certain point, they will deposit a layer material on the face of the rotors, just like other pad types. That pad transfer layer is extremely thin however, and contains graphite (a lubricant), which protects the rotors from wear. Because of the abrasive nature of the sintered material when cold, that thin transfer layer will quickly be removed from the rotors during any cold brake applications. The transfer layer of CL pads is essentially self-curing, and only develops when required to protect the rotors.
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Learning Center
Know Brakes 1: How to Bed-in Brake Pads and Rotors
Know Brakes. with Jeff Ritter Episode I: Preparing Brake Pads and RotorsProperly bedding in your brake pads and rotors is absolutely critical if you want to squeeze the most performance from your brake system. Unfortunately, many enthusiasts don’t understand how or why they should be doing this important procedure. In this inaugural episode of “Know Brakes,” Jeff Ritter teaches you everything you need to know to prepare your brake pads and rotors for heavy use. Highlights include in-car footage of the process, before and after component photos, and an interview with AP Racing engineer Steve Hood. Armed with the knowledge in this video, you’ll be able to get...
