Change in Accounting Principles (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cost of products sold	$ 548.8	$ 489.1	$ 1,072.1	$ 990.0
Gross Profit	201.8	184.5	382.3	367.6
Selling, general and administrative expenses	123.8	108.0	243.4	224.1
Pension Settlement Charges	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.2
Operating Income (Loss)	77.2	73.6	136.4	128.9
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	73.9	69.7	127.5	164.6
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(8.1)	21.5	7.4	50.6
Net Income	82.0	48.2	120.1	114.0
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ (82.5)	$ (48.2)	$ (120.7)	$ (114.1)
Basic earnings per share	$ 1.06	$ 0.61	$ 1.55	$ 1.44
Diluted earnings per share	$ 1.04	$ 0.61	$ 1.53	$ 1.43
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 11.5	$ (13.8)	$ 31.9	$ 1.5
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	0.0	0.4	0.1	0.8
Other comprehensive income	10.1	(12.7)	29.8	0.7
Comprehensive Income	92.1	35.5	149.9	114.7
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(1.1)	0.1	1.4	1.2
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	93.2	35.4	148.5	113.5
Inventories, net	617.0		617.0				$ 553.7
Total Current Assets	1,659.5		1,659.5				1,211.9
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	46.4		46.4				51.4
Total Other Assets	767.4		767.4				746.9
Total Assets	3,238.5		3,238.5				2,763.2
Earnings invested in the business	1,367.7		1,367.7				1,289.3
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(50.1)	(55.2)	(50.1)	(55.2)	$ (60.8)		(77.9)	$ (42.4)	$ (54.6)
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,387.0		1,387.0				1,279.7
Noncontrolling Interest	32.6		32.6				31.2
Total Equity	1,419.6		1,419.6				1,310.9
Deferred income tax provision			7.7	2.8
Pension and other postretirement expense			9.9	9.7
Liabilities and Equity	3,238.5		3,238.5				2,763.2
Scenario, Previous Accounting Guidance [Member]
Cost of products sold	551.1		1,074.2
Gross Profit	199.5		380.2
Selling, general and administrative expenses	126.5		247.0
Pension Settlement Charges	1.1		11.8
Operating Income (Loss)	71.1		118.9
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	67.8		110.0
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(10.2)		1.3
Net Income	78.0		108.7
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ (78.5)		$ (109.3)
Basic earnings per share	$ 1.01		$ 1.40
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.99		$ 1.38
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 11.5		$ 31.9
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	(4.0)		(11.5)
Other comprehensive income	14.1		41.2
Comprehensive Income	92.1		149.9
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(1.1)		1.4
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	93.2		148.5
Inventories, net	609.1		609.1
Total Current Assets	1,651.6		1,651.6
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	49.4		49.4
Total Other Assets	770.4		770.4
Total Assets	3,233.6		3,233.6
Earnings invested in the business	1,595.6		1,595.6
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(282.8)		(282.8)
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,382.2		1,382.2
Noncontrolling Interest	32.5		32.5
Total Equity	1,414.7		1,414.7
Deferred income tax provision			1.6
Pension and other postretirement expense			27.4
Liabilities and Equity	3,233.6		3,233.6				2,758.3
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Cost of products sold		491.3		994.4
Gross Profit		182.3		363.2
Selling, general and administrative expenses		110.2		228.5
Pension Settlement Charges		0.4		1.6
Operating Income (Loss)		68.8		119.7
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes		64.9		155.4
Provision (benefit) for income taxes		20.0		47.6
Net Income		44.9		107.8
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company		$ (44.9)		$ (107.9)
Basic earnings per share		$ 0.57		$ 1.36
Diluted earnings per share		$ 0.57		$ 1.35
Foreign currency translation adjustments		$ (18.4)		$ (3.6)
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)		(8.3)		(12.0)
Other comprehensive income		(9.4)		6.8
Comprehensive Income		35.5		114.6
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest		0.2		1.2
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company		35.3		113.4
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				(0.2)
Pension and other postretirement expense				18.9
Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Cost of products sold	(2.3)	(2.2)	(2.1)	(4.4)
Gross Profit	2.3	2.2	2.1	4.4
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(2.7)	(2.2)	(3.6)	(4.4)
Pension Settlement Charges	(1.1)	(0.4)	(11.8)	(0.4)
Operating Income (Loss)	6.1	4.8	17.5	9.2
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes	6.1	4.8	17.5	9.2
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	2.1	1.5	6.1	3.0
Net Income		3.3		6.2
Net Income (loss) attributable to The Timken Company	$ (4.0)	$ (3.3)	$ (11.4)	$ (6.2)
Basic earnings per share	$ 0.05	$ 0.04	$ 0.15	$ 0.08
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.05	$ 0.04	$ 0.15	$ 0.08
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 0.0	$ 4.6	$ 0.0	$ 5.1
Pension and postretirement liability adjustment (net of the income tax benefit of $1.5 million)	4.0	7.9	11.4	11.2
Other comprehensive income	(4.0)	(3.3)	(11.4)	(6.1)
Comprehensive Income	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1
Less: comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0.0	(0.1)	0.0	0.0
Comprehensive Income attributable to The Timken Company	0.0	$ 0.1	0.0	0.1
Inventories, net	7.9		7.9				7.9
Total Current Assets	7.9		7.9				7.9
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(3.0)		(3.0)				(3.0)
Total Other Assets	(3.0)		(3.0)				(3.0)
Total Assets	4.9		4.9			$ 5.0	4.9
Earnings invested in the business	(227.9)		(227.9)			239.0	(239.3)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	232.7		232.7			$ 244.0	244.1
Total Shareholders' Equity	4.8		4.8				4.8
Noncontrolling Interest	0.1		0.1				0.1
Total Equity	4.9		4.9				4.9
Deferred income tax provision			6.1	(3.0)
Pension and other postretirement expense			(17.5)	$ 9.2
Liabilities and Equity	$ 4.9		$ 4.9				$ 4.9