Business Segments - Schedule of Summarized Financial Information by Reportable Segments Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jul. 01, 2018	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 781,803	$ 763,698	$ 762,137	$ 780,230	$ 796,603	$ 680,022	$ 660,462	$ 670,930	$ 3,087,868	$ 2,808,017	$ 2,581,891
Intersegment sales									216,125	186,558	186,052
Total operating earnings	20,065	43,084	58,710	68,336	34,978	49,951	63,357	64,179	190,195	212,465	270,846
Inventory step up to fair value relating to acquisitions - Americas									(1,854)	(10,379)	(3,457)
Inventory adjustment relating to exit activities - EMEA	(1,991)	(3,845)			(2,590)			(526)
Restructuring charges	(2,695)	$ (9,417)	$ (6,282)	$ (2,372)	(26,457)	$ (5,392)	$ (1,121)	$ (1,739)	(20,766)	(34,709)	(5,481)
Impairment of goodwill - Asia	(39,713)								(39,713)	0	0
Gain on sale of facility - Asia									86	258	(116)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	480,014								480,014
Property, plant, and equipment, net					409,439					409,439	390,260
Capital Expenditures									101,425	70,372	69,832
Depreciation and amortization									87,344	63,348	54,317
Reserve Power
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,739,675	1,416,173	1,247,900
Motive Power
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,348,193	1,391,844	1,333,991
Americas
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									2,082,290	1,690,912	1,429,888
Intersegment sales									46,299	28,753	29,513
Total operating earnings									206,908	186,814	189,466
Inventory step up to fair value relating to acquisitions - Americas									(1,854)	(7,263)	0
Inventory adjustment relating to exit activities - EMEA									0	0	(3,457)
Restructuring charges									(2,586)	(4,066)	(1,246)
Impairment of goodwill - Asia									0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	325,435								325,435
Property, plant, and equipment, net					257,559					257,559	210,998
Capital Expenditures									74,931	45,029	46,905
Depreciation and amortization									65,711	40,675	30,421
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory adjustment relating to exit activities - EMEA									0	(2,590)	0
Legal proceedings charge									0	(4,437)	0
EMEA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									787,256	860,563	849,420
Intersegment sales									148,773	123,274	133,164
Total operating earnings									50,168	71,963	77,671
Restructuring charges									(11,315)	(26,989)	(4,023)
Impairment of indefinite-lived intangibles - EMEA									(4,549)	0	0
Impairment of goodwill - Asia									0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	104,909								104,909
Property, plant, and equipment, net					94,932					94,932	118,263
Capital Expenditures									23,788	18,972	18,392
Depreciation and amortization									14,291	15,128	16,198
Asia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									218,322	256,542	302,583
Intersegment sales									21,053	34,531	23,375
Total operating earnings									1	3,213	12,647
Inventory adjustment relating to exit activities - EMEA									0	(526)	0
Restructuring charges									(1,424)	(3,654)	(212)
Impairment of goodwill - Asia									(39,713)	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	$ 49,670								49,670
Property, plant, and equipment, net					$ 56,948					56,948	60,999
Capital Expenditures									2,706	6,371	4,535
Depreciation and amortization									7,342	7,545	7,698
Fixed Asset Write-Off [Member] | Americas
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring charges									$ (5,441)	$ 0	$ 0