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Income Taxes Deferred Income Tax Assets and Liabilities and Valuation Allowances (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2013
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]      
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards $ 188.9axl_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryforwards   $ 275.8axl_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryforwards
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards, Not Subject to Expiration 85.6axl_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryforwardsNotSubjectToExpiration    
NOL and Tax Credit Carryforward, Range of Carryforward Period, Lower End of Range 5 years    
NOL and Tax Credit Carryforward, Range of Carryforward Period, Upper End of Range 20 years    
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries 502.2us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Release of Valuation Allowance on Net Federal Deferred Tax Assets in the U.S.   337.5axl_ReleaseOfValuationAllowanceOnNetFederalDeferredTaxAssetsInUS  
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance 156.9us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance   163.7us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
difference relating to amount of tax deduction allowed versus US GAAP for stock based compensation [Member]      
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]      
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits, Employee Compensation $ 3.2us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsEmployeeCompensation
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= axl_DifferencerelatingtoamountoftaxdeductionallowedversusUSGAAPforstockbasedcompensationMember