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Change them now! The top pic, the pad material is already gone and the rotor is just slap ate up, no rust involved.
So how did you rotate that pic to see what the pad thickness is?
Those rotors look like they have burnished rust on them, yes OP can buy new rotors and pads, or he can go burn the rust off with some heavy braking and get a few more months out of them, assuming there is some pad left.
Pull the pads on one wheel to inspect them, if they are riveted pads you might be scraping the rivets already, even though a side view looks like plenty of pad left.
Mechanic/machinist for 40+ years, if you are going to give mechanical advice lets hear your qualifications.
I have frequently seen the inside pad wear faster than the outside one. Few months ago I had just one inside pad that was just about down to metal on the Subie, it would only make noise occasionally. Taking it apart, though, I found out what the deal was, and put in new pads. I have been working on my own cars for more than 35 years, still had a hard time seeing how bad this was till I took it apart.
Most Japanese particularly, a set of medium-grade pads is less than $50, installing them does not take any special tools. Measure your disc, make sure it's still OK for thickness. You could take them off and get them turned, you could replace them, or just put on some new pads and let normal wear clean up the rust.
Do be aware that when pushing the caliper pistons back, you could push dirty fluid into the master cylinder, you could overfill and overflow the master cylinder. I personally prefer to open the bleeder valve a bit when pushing the pistons back, and I usually remove some fluid either through the caliper (best, because this takes the dirtiest fluid out of the system) or take some out of the master cylinder. Otherwise you make a mess with the brake fluid and it screws up paint in areas hard to re-paint.
But I agree with the other dirty-fingernail guys on here - winter is coming, there is no easier time to do this than right away. Don't go driving around on dodgy brakes. Rare to find a decision like this where doing the right thing is so easy, and the cost of a failure can be so high.
Application of a really good penetrating oil like Kroil or if you can't find that PB Blaster, particularly say the evening before you plan to dive into the job, can make things much easier.
So how did you rotate that pic to see what the pad thickness is?
Those rotors look like they have burnished rust on them, yes OP can buy new rotors and pads, or he can go burn the rust off with some heavy braking and get a few more months out of them, assuming there is some pad left.
Pull the pads on one wheel to inspect them, if they are riveted pads you might be scraping the rivets already, even though a side view looks like plenty of pad left.
Mechanic/machinist for 40+ years, if you are going to give mechanical advice lets hear your qualifications.
Look at the top pic, Can you not see the ridge on the top and bottom edge of the rotor? Can you not see the ridges on the rotor in between the top and bottom ridges? The bottom pic looks like they are OK.
I could care less youre experience, if you cant see the wear, youre neither a machinist or a mechanic.
I have had a wheel bearing issue but that's a different noise
I recently had the same problem the OP is having - the brakes are fine at low speed, but made a grinding noises when braking from higher speeds. The rotor surfaces were rust free, plenty of material on the pads, and the rotors weren't warped. I installed new pads/rotors anyway and the issue remained. If I listened very carefully at lower speeds, I could hear a wop-wop sound (sort of like a tire with separated treads). It turned out to be wheel bearings. I've been working on cars for decades and have never seen these symptoms for bad wheel bearings, but that's what it was.
Look at the top pic, Can you not see the ridge on the top and bottom edge of the rotor? Can you not see the ridges on the rotor in between the top and bottom ridges? The bottom pic looks like they are OK.
I could care less youre experience, if you cant see the wear, youre neither a machinist or a mechanic.
Brake rotors wear, but what I see in that pic does not show me pad thickness, or prove that pads are shot. I see rotors like that every day that people opt to just slap new pads on and they get by fine. Some people are a bit pickier and have me turn them if there is enough material left, or they buy new ones.
Based on the info and the pics, most likely your rotors are warped. It would get worse, AKA show up at lower speeds if you want to risk your (& everybody else s') life and wait until then. Just get it changed.
A regular brake job is actually relatively easy to DIY. Watch some videos and see if it is something you feel comfortable tackling. Can ask a friend to help (for a cold beverage of choice!).
I recently had the same problem the OP is having - the brakes are fine at low speed, but made a grinding noises when braking from higher speeds. The rotor surfaces were rust free, plenty of material on the pads, and the rotors weren't warped. I installed new pads/rotors anyway and the issue remained. If I listened very carefully at lower speeds, I could hear a wop-wop sound (sort of like a tire with separated treads). It turned out to be wheel bearings. I've been working on cars for decades and have never seen these symptoms for bad wheel bearings, but that's what it was.
That is an odd noise for bad wheel bearings. My last car had several wheel bearing issues and it was always a very loud noise when traveling at higher speed
I am just going to get them replaced, hopefully that will resolve the noise issue. Thanks
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