Quarterly Financial Data (Details)		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) $ / shares
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Correction of Error Inventory Valuation							$ 18,700,000
Quarterly Financial Data
Net sales		$ 714,400,000	$ 707,400,000	$ 728,000,000	$ 722,500,000	$ 762,200,000	788,000,000	$ 789,200,000	$ 736,800,000	$ 2,872,300,000	$ 20,600,000	$ 3,076,200,000	$ 3,035,400,000
Gross Profit		190,900,000	195,400,000	205,100,000	202,500,000	220,800,000	225,500,000	233,600,000	218,100,000	793,900,000		898,000,000	868,400,000
Impairment and restructuring charges		2,700,000	4,400,000	1,400,000	6,200,000	5,400,000	99,400,000	5,400,000	3,200,000	14,700,000		113,400,000	8,700,000
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business	$ (300,000)	(29,000,000)								(28,700,000)		0	0
Pension Settlement Charges		241,800,000	3,600,000	4,400,000	215,200,000	33,000,000	0	0	700,000	465,000,000		33,700,000	7,200,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest						41,600,000	(10,200,000)	57,600,000	60,300,000	(68,000,000)		149,300,000	175,500,000
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent						5,300,000	(11,000,000)	6,200,000	23,500,000	0		24,000,000	87,500,000
Net (Loss) Income		(35,400,000)	64,500,000	37,700,000	(134,800,000)	46,900,000	(21,200,000)	63,800,000	83,800,000	(68,000,000)		173,300,000	263,000,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest		300,000	1,100,000	1,000,000	400,000	400,000	700,000	1,100,000	300,000	2,800,000		2,500,000	300,000
Net Income Attributable to The Timken Company		$ (35,700,000)	$ 63,400,000	$ 36,700,000	$ (135,200,000)	$ 46,500,000	$ (21,900,000)	$ 62,700,000	$ 83,500,000	$ (70,800,000)		$ 170,800,000	$ 262,700,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Basic Share | $ / shares						$ 0.46	$ (0.12)	$ 0.62	$ 0.64	$ (0.84)		$ 1.62	$ 1.84
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share | $ / shares						0.06	(0.12)	0.07	0.26	0.00		0.27	0.92
Net income per share - Basic:
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ (440,000)	$ 760,000	$ 430,000	$ (1,540,000)	0.52	(0.24)	0.69	0.90	(0.84)		1.89	2.76
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share | $ / shares						0.46	(0.12)	0.61	0.64	(0.84)		1.61	1.82
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share | $ / shares						0.06	(0.12)	0.07	0.26	0.00		0.26	0.92
Net income per share - Diluted:
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		(0.44)	0.75	0.43	(1.54)	0.52	(0.24)	0.68	0.90	(0.84)		1.87	2.74
Dividends per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.26	$ 0.26	$ 0.26	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 1.03		$ 1	$ 0.92
Fixed Asset Write-Off		$ 9,700,000
After Tax Amount of Fixed Asset Write Off		6,100,000
Earnings per share effect of fixed asset write-off		$ 0.07
Number of U.S. Timken retirees										8,400
Quarterly Financial Data (Textual) [Abstract]
Severance expense and related benefit costs			$ 4,300,000		$ 400,000	$ 4,400,000	$ 1,300,000	$ 2,800,000		$ 7,700,000		$ 10,700,000	$ 9,200,000
Impairment charges										3,300,000		98,900,000	100,000
Exit costs			$ 100,000		3,100,000	1,000,000	100,000	1,800,000		3,700,000		3,800,000	(600,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation						$ 110,000,000						110,000,000
Other Asset Impairment Charges					$ 2,700,000		$ 98,000,000	$ 800,000
Gains (Losses) on Sales of Other Real Estate										0		22,600,000	5,400,000
Impairment charges										$ 3,300,000		$ 98,900,000	$ 100,000