Change in Accounting Principles (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cost of products sold	$ 523.3	$ 500.9
Gross Profit	180.5	183.1
Selling, general and administrative expenses	119.6	116.1
Pension Settlement Charges	0.0	1.2
Operating Income (Loss)	59.2	55.3
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	53.6	94.9
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	15.5	29.1
Net Income	38.1	65.8
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ 38.2	$ 65.9
Basic earnings per share	$ 0.49	$ 0.83
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.48	$ 0.82
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 20.4	$ 15.3
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	0.1	0.4
Other comprehensive income	19.7	13.4
Comprehensive Income	57.8	79.2
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	2.5	1.1
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	55.3	78.1
Inventories, net	566.2			$ 553.7
Total Current Assets	1,270.7			1,211.9
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	50.7			51.4
Total Other Assets	737.3			746.9
Total Assets	2,815.6			2,763.2
Earnings invested in the business	1,306.3			1,289.3
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(60.8)	(42.4)		(77.9)	$ (54.6)
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,321.1			1,279.7
Noncontrolling Interest	33.7			31.2
Total Equity	1,354.8			1,310.9
Deferred income tax provision	1.5	2.2
Pension and other postretirement expense	7.2	4.9
Scenario, Previous Accounting Guidance [Member]
Cost of products sold	523.1
Gross Profit	180.7
Selling, general and administrative expenses	120.5
Pension Settlement Charges	10.7
Operating Income (Loss)	47.8
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	42.2
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	11.5
Net Income	30.7
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ 30.8
Basic earnings per share	$ 0.39
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.39
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 20.4
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	(7.5)
Other comprehensive income	27.1
Comprehensive Income	57.8
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	2.5
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	55.3
Inventories, net	558.3
Total Current Assets	1,262.8
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	53.7
Total Other Assets	740.3
Total Assets	2,810.7
Earnings invested in the business	1,538.2
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(297.5)
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,316.3
Noncontrolling Interest	33.6
Total Equity	1,349.9
Deferred income tax provision	(2.5)
Pension and other postretirement expense	18.6
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Cost of products sold		503.1
Gross Profit		180.9
Selling, general and administrative expenses		118.3
Pension Settlement Charges		1.2
Operating Income (Loss)		50.9
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes		90.5
Provision (benefit) for income taxes		27.6
Net Income		62.9
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company		$ 63.0
Basic earnings per share		$ 0.79
Diluted earnings per share		$ 0.78
Foreign currency translation adjustments		$ 14.8
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)		(3.7)
Other comprehensive income		16.2
Comprehensive Income		79.1
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest		1.0
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company		78.1
Inventories, net				545.8
Total Current Assets				1,204.0
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent				54.4
Total Other Assets				749.9
Total Assets				2,758.3
Earnings invested in the business				1,528.6
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				(322.0)
Total Shareholders' Equity				1,274.9
Noncontrolling Interest				31.1
Total Equity				1,306.0
Deferred income tax provision		0.7
Pension and other postretirement expense		9.3
Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Cost of products sold	0.2	(2.2)
Gross Profit	(0.2)	2.2
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(0.9)	(2.2)
Pension Settlement Charges	(10.7)	0.0
Operating Income (Loss)	11.4	4.4
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	11.4	4.4
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	4.0	1.5
Net Income		2.9
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ 7.4	$ 2.9
Basic earnings per share	$ 0.10	$ 0.04
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.09	$ 0.04
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 0.0	$ 0.5
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	7.4	3.3
Other comprehensive income	(7.4)	(2.8)
Comprehensive Income	0.0	0.1
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0.0	0.1
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	0.0	0.0
Inventories, net	7.9			7.9
Total Current Assets	7.9			7.9
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(3.0)			(3.0)
Total Other Assets	(3.0)			(3.0)
Total Assets	4.9		$ 5.0	4.9
Earnings invested in the business	(231.9)		239.0	(239.3)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	236.7		$ 244.0	244.1
Total Shareholders' Equity	4.8			4.8
Noncontrolling Interest	0.1			0.1
Total Equity	4.9			$ 4.9
Deferred income tax provision	4.0	1.5
Pension and other postretirement expense	$ (11.4)	$ (4.4)