Should I do the break pads

Why would you replace pads that had 5000KM left on them. Depending wether you are driving in the city and that is where it was checked and the mechanic thinks you can do 5000Km in the city. A lot different to driving in the outback where you drive 600Km to 800Km maybe more a day only using you brake once a day.
I travel twice a year 5000KM and apply the brake 7 times in that distance. Once a day when stopping for the night.
Now travel 5000Km in the city and your brake would be applied 50,000 times and more so depending on the type of travel will depend on how long your brakes will last.
Your brakes have squealers on them and you will know when to replace them. Once the noise starts you have plenty of time to replace them.
Cheers Andy

Yeah, hearing you Andy, each to their own I suppose. Typically pads last well over 100,000km's, in my experience (last 2 vehicles @120,000k and still not worn and that is predominantly urban driving) so regardless of where the car is driven, if there is only 5000k left in them, then they do not have much comparative life left in them, (closer to 95% worn) so for the sake of $100 or so in parts, why wait for the annoying squeal that could potentially happen on the trip? Sure, if you were not doing a big trip and could readily drop in to your local mechanic with minimal inconvenience, then you could wear them right down.
Cheers

Hi Batt's,
Brakes have squealers on them today and when the noise from the squealers is heard you have up to 2 mm left on the pad before it is metal to metal. 30 years ago it use to be the way you have described but not today. Once you hear the squealers it's time to replace.
Cheers Andy

I didn't know about squealers so I learned something there so I looked it up and found out that you need to change your pads as soon as you can after you hear them. But if you keep driving with the noise you can get a small groove mark in your discs so they're good for non mechanically minded people who just drive cars and have no interest in fixing things themselves. But there only good if people are told what they are and that there car has them fitted so you can rule out 99% of the population because who is going to read the car manual from front to back. I believe the car dealers should inform people of things like this when they make a purchase because it would be something you would remember.

modern disks usually need replacing with the pads anyway - not that often they have enough meat to be machined and reused after changing the pads

Bazooka,
There's two trains of thought on this. Me personally don't machine my disc rotors upon pad replacement. I give them a bit of a de-glaze with some emery paper and that's all.

However, when I was with a big brand dealer, it was custom to upsell a machine with every pad replacement. Was it necessary? I didn't think so. Did it generate more business? Of course. Then before you know it, the discs are undersized and need replacement.

Having said that, I wouldn't dream of doing a clutch without machining the flywheel and I guess the basic principles are the same with a clutch as they are with brakes. The only difference is that discs are easier to have a second crack at if they are found to need additional work, whereas pulling out a gearbox just to machine a flywheel is a real PITA.

In my opinion....if the discs don't have excessive runout (causing shudder under braking), haven't been cooked and aren't under sized, then a simple de-glaze is all they need.

Fab.

Thanks Fab. Looking at the rotors before and after I think they did the minimum required. Anyway it was a good job at a good price (with only one small complication which owners of old Jacks will know about), and you can't be unhappy about that.