Schedule of Financial Data for Company Reportable Business Segments and Product Lines (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jul. 01, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Jan. 01, 2012		Oct. 02, 2011		Jul. 03, 2011		Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 572,117		$ 557,320		$ 554,212		$ 593,910		$ 592,754		$ 574,246		$ 547,140		$ 569,229		$ 2,277,559		$ 2,283,369		$ 1,964,462
Total intersegment sales																	145,047	[1]	134,949	[1]	119,076	[1]
Net sales revenue by services																	2,277,559		2,283,369		1,964,462
Total operating earnings	56,991	[2]	59,737	[2]	62,885	[2]	70,255	[2]	65,879	[3]	53,777	[3]	42,440	[3]	48,715	[3]	249,868	[2],[4]	210,811	[3],[4]	183,814	[4]
Restructuring charges	(1,723)		(3,776)		(1,295)		(370)		(2,236)		(1,440)		(902)		(410)		(7,164)		(4,988)		(6,813)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	350,126								353,215								350,126		353,215		344,385
Capital Expenditures																	55,286		48,943		59,940
Depreciation and amortization																	50,502		50,360		44,393
Reserve Power
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales revenue by services																	1,118,965		1,092,734		970,480
Motive Power
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales revenue by services																	1,158,594		1,190,635		993,982
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales																	926,165		995,431		890,313
Total intersegment sales																	76,947		75,652		55,586
Total operating earnings																	64,032		63,872		55,643
Restructuring charges																	(4,473)		(4,988)		(6,813)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	152,577								161,854								152,577		161,854		169,056
Capital Expenditures																	20,761		21,631		22,034
Depreciation and amortization																	22,255		25,451		21,564
Europe | Legal Settlement
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Bargain purchase gain																			900
Americas
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales																	1,126,904		1,082,747		896,629
Total intersegment sales																	36,854		38,115		42,141
Total operating earnings																	171,854		138,894		124,515
Property, plant, and equipment, net	152,678								144,701								152,678		144,701		142,263
Capital Expenditures																	29,566		20,862		22,368
Depreciation and amortization																	23,073		21,466		19,842
Asia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total net sales																	224,490		205,191		177,520
Total intersegment sales																	31,246		21,182		21,349
Total operating earnings																	21,146		12,133		10,469
Restructuring charges																	(2,691)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	44,871								46,660								44,871		46,660		33,066
Capital Expenditures																	4,959		6,450		15,538
Depreciation and amortization																	$ 5,174		$ 3,443		$ 2,987

[1] Intersegment sales are presented on a cost-plus basis which takes into consideration the effect of transfer prices between legal entities.

[2] Included in Operating earnings were restructuring charges of $370, $1,295, $3,776 and $1,723 for the first, second, third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2013, respectively.

[3] Included in Operating earnings were restructuring charges of $410, $902, $1,440 and $2,236 for the first, second, third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2012, respectively. Operating earnings also included a legal proceedings settlement income of $900, in the second quarter of fiscal 2012.

[4] The Company does not allocate interest expense or other (income) expense to the reportable segments.