Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements 2014 and 2013 Cash Flow Statements (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 318.4	$ 223.0	$ (175.5)
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(206.5)	(251.9)	(207.6)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	9.1	9.1	10.1
Proceeds from government grants	2.1axl_Proceedsfromgovernmentgrants	0axl_Proceedsfromgovernmentgrants	0axl_Proceedsfromgovernmentgrants
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Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	24.1	12.1
Net cash used in investing activities	(195.3)	(218.7)	(185.4)
Financing activities
Net debt activity	(22.0)us-gaap_ProceedsFromRepaymentsOfDebt	104.8us-gaap_ProceedsFromRepaymentsOfDebt	273.9us-gaap_ProceedsFromRepaymentsOfDebt
Debt issuance costs	(0.3)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts	(16.7)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts	(10.6)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	1.2	1.1	0.1
Purchase of treasury stock	(0.3)	(0.4)	(5.9)
Intercompany Activity - Financing	0axl_IntercompanyActivityFinancing	0axl_IntercompanyActivityFinancing	0axl_IntercompanyActivityFinancing
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(21.4)	88.8	253.5
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(6.5)	(1.5)	0.6
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	95.2	91.6	(106.8)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	154.0	62.4	169.2
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	249.2	154.0	62.4
Holdings [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	0
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from government grants	0
Intercompany activity	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Financing activities
Net debt activity	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	0	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	(0.3)	(0.4)	(5.9)
Intercompany Activity - Financing	0.3	0.4	5.9
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0	0	0
AAM Inc. [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	83.4	(35.9)	(274.3)
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(51.3)	(61.2)	(59.4)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	7.9	5.1	7.0
Proceeds from government grants	0
Intercompany activity	0	0
Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	24.1	12.1
Net cash used in investing activities	(43.4)	(32.0)	(40.3)
Financing activities
Net debt activity	(7.8)	110.1	257.9
Debt issuance costs	(0.3)	(16.6)	(10.6)
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	1.2	1.1	0.1
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Intercompany Activity - Financing	(0.3)	(0.4)	(5.9)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(7.2)	94.2	241.5
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	32.8	26.3	(73.1)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	36.9	10.6	83.7
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	69.7	36.9	10.6
Guarantor Subsidiaries of Certain Notes [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	41.9	64.9	46.6
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(18.6)	(12.5)	(9.0)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0.4	0.5	0
Proceeds from government grants	0
Intercompany activity	23.3	52.6	37.4
Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(41.5)	(64.6)	(46.4)
Financing activities
Net debt activity	(0.4)	(0.3)	(0.2)
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	0	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Intercompany Activity - Financing	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(0.4)	(0.3)	(0.2)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	193.1	194.0	52.2
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(136.6)	(178.2)	(139.2)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0.8	3.5	3.1
Proceeds from government grants	2.1
Intercompany activity	0	0
Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(133.7)	(174.7)	(136.1)
Financing activities
Net debt activity	(13.8)	(5.0)	16.2
Debt issuance costs	0	(0.1)	0
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	0	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Intercompany Activity - Financing	23.3	52.6	37.4
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	9.5	47.5	49.6
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(6.5)	(1.5)	0.6
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	62.4	65.3	(33.7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	117.1	51.8	85.5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	179.5	117.1	51.8
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	0
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from government grants	0
Intercompany activity	(23.3)	(52.6)	(37.4)
Proceeds from sale-leaseback of equipment	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	23.3	52.6	37.4
Financing activities
Net debt activity	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Employee stock option exercises, including tax benefit	0	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Intercompany Activity - Financing	(23.3)	(52.6)	(37.4)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(23.3)	(52.6)	(37.4)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

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Proceeds from government grants

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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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