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Employee Benefit Plans Expected Future Pension and Other Postretirement Payments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2012 | Jan. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in year one |  |  | $ 55.3 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsNextTwelveMonths
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in year two |  |  | 55.4 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearTwo
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in year three |  |  | 56.4 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearThree
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in year four |  |  | 56.6 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFour
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in year five |  |  | 56.9 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFive
Defined benefit plan, expected future benefit payments in five fiscal years thereafter |  |  | 293.6 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFiveFiscalYearsThereafter
Pension Contributions in Excess of Statutory Minimums | 114.7 axl_PensionContributionsInExcessOfStatutoryMinimums |  |
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, estimated future employer contributions in next fiscal year |  | $ 16.0 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember |

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- Definition Represent contributions to our pension trusts in excess of our statutory minimums due to an agreement entered into during the period by AAM and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation regarding any liability that may have arisen under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 in connection with the closures of DMC and CKMF. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the five fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan during the next fiscal year beginning after the date of the latest statement of financial position. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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