EX-4.1



 Exhibit 4.1 
 FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE 
 FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this
“First Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of February 28, 2013, by and among American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust
Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee under the Indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”). 
 W I T N E S S E T H: 
 WHEREAS, the Company, American Axle &
Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., as guarantor (“the Guarantor”), and the Trustee heretofore executed and delivered an Indenture, dated as of February 27, 2007 (the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of the
7.875%% Senior Notes due March 1, 2017 (the “Notes”) (capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture); 

WHEREAS, the Company has offered to purchase for cash any and all of the outstanding Notes (the “Tender Offer”) and
requested that Holders of the Notes deliver their consents (the “Consents”) to eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and eliminate or modify certain events of default and related provisions contained in the
Indenture (the “Consent Solicitation”) pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated February 14, 2013 (the “Statement”), and the related Consent and Letter of Transmittal;

 WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 902 of the Indenture, the Trustee and the Company, together with the written consent
of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes as of the date hereof, may add any provision to or change in any manner or eliminate any of the provisions of the Indenture and the Notes as described
below (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer for the Notes); 
 WHEREAS, the Company is undertaking to
execute and deliver this First Supplemental Indenture to amend certain terms and covenants in the Indenture (the “Proposed Amendments”) in connection with the Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation; 

WHEREAS, the Company has obtained the written consent to the Proposed Amendments to the Indenture from the Holders of not less than a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes in order to effect the Proposed Amendments and all other conditions precedent provided under the Indenture to permit the Company and the Trustee to enter into this First Supplemental
Indenture have been satisfied; 
 WHEREAS, this First Supplemental Indenture shall be effective upon its execution by the
Company and the Trustee, and the Proposed Amendments effected by this First Supplemental Indenture shall become operative with respect to the Notes on the Initial Payment Date (as defined herein) in accordance with Section 2.1 hereof;

 WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee join with it in entering into this First Supplemental Indenture for the
purpose of amending the Indenture in accordance with the Proposed Amendments to eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and eliminate or modify certain events of default and related provisions contained in the Indenture, as
permitted by Section 902 of the Indenture; 
 WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 902 and Section 903 of the Indenture,
the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this First Supplemental Indenture; 
 WHEREAS, this First Supplemental
Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company; and 
 WHEREAS, all things
necessary have been done to make this First Supplemental Indenture, when executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee, the legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Trustee, in accordance with its terms. 







 NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration for the promises and for other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders as follows: 
 ARTICLE I 
 Amendments 

Section 1.1. Amendments to the Indenture. The Indenture is hereby amended as follows: 

 

	 	(i)	Section 1102 is hereby amended by deleting the second sentence in its entirety and replacing such second sentence with the following: 


“In case of any redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall, at least five days prior to the Redemption Date fixed
by the Company, notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and shall deliver to the Trustee such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the Securities
to be redeemed pursuant to Section 1103; provided that any securities of such series to be redeemed held in global form shall be selected in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary.” 

 

	 	(ii)	Section 1104 is hereby amended by deleting the first sentence in its entirety and replacing such first sentence with the following: 


“Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, notice of redemption shall be given
in the manner provided in Section 106 not less than five days nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.” 

 

	 	(iii)	Section 1006 is hereby amended by deleting such Section in its entirety and replacing it with the following: “INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.”;


  

	 	(iv)	Section 1007 is hereby amended by deleting such Section in its entirety and replacing it with the following: “INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.”;


  

	 	(v)	Section 801 is hereby amended by deleting such Section in its entirety and replacing it with the following: “INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.”;


  

	 	(vi)	Section 501 is hereby amended by deleting clauses (4) and (6) in their entirety and replacing such clauses (4) and (6) with the following:
“INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.”; 

 Section 1.2. Amendment of Notes. Subject to Article II hereof,
any of the terms or provisions present in the Notes that relate to any of the provisions of the Indenture, as amended by this First Supplemental Indenture, shall also be amended, mutatis mutandis, so as to be consistent with the amendments
made by this First Supplemental Indenture. 
 Section 1.3. Amendment of Definitions. Subject to Article II hereof,
any defined terms present in the Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees but no longer used as a result of the amendments made by this First Supplemental Indenture are hereby eliminated in the Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees, as applicable.
The definition of any defined term used in the Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees where such definition is set forth in any of the sections or subsections of the Indenture that are eliminated by this First Supplemental Indenture and the term it
defines is still used elsewhere in the Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees after the amendments hereby become operative shall be deemed to become part of, and defined in, Section 101 of the Indenture. Such defined terms are to be in
alphanumeric order within Section 101 of the Indenture. 

  
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 Section 1.4 Amendment of References. The Indenture and the Notes are hereby
amended by deleting all references in the Indenture and the Notes to those sections and subsections that are deleted as a result of the amendments made by this First Supplemental Indenture. 

ARTICLE II 

Miscellaneous 
 Section 2.1. Effect and Operation of First Supplemental Indenture. This First Supplemental Indenture shall be effective and binding immediately upon its execution and delivery by the Company
and the Trustee, and thereupon this First Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every Security and Guarantee heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered under the Indenture shall be bound hereby;
provided, however, notwithstanding anything in the Indenture or this First Supplemental Indenture to the contrary, the amendments set forth in Article I of this First Supplemental Indenture shall become operative only upon and
simultaneously with, and shall have no force and effect prior to, the Company’s acceptance and initial payment for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the Tender Offer and representing at least a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (such date of payment, the “Initial Payment Date”). Prior to the time the Company purchases any Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer, the Company may terminate this First Supplemental
Indenture upon written notice to the Trustee, including in connection with any termination or withdrawal of the Tender Offer or the solicitation of Consents with respect to the Proposed Amendments or if for any other reason the Notes are not
accepted for payment pursuant to the Tender Offer. If the Tender Offer is terminated or withdrawn, or the Company does not accept for purchase, and pay for, the Notes for any reason, this First Supplemental Indenture shall not become operative.

 Section 2.2. Indenture Remains in Full Force and Effect. Except as amended or supplemented hereby, all provisions
in the Indenture shall remain in full force and effect. 
 Section 2.3. Indenture and Supplemental Indenture Construed
Together. This First Supplemental Indenture is an indenture supplemental to the Indenture, and the Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture shall henceforth be read and construed together. 

Section 2.4. Confirmation and Preservation of Indenture. The Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture,
is in all respects confirmed and preserved. 
 Section 2.5. Conflict with the Trust Indenture Act. If any provision
hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any provision of the Trust Indenture Act or another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this First Supplemental Indenture by any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, the
provision or requirement of the Trust Indenture Act shall control. If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be
deemed to apply to this First Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be. 
 Section 2.6.
Separability Clause. In case any provision in this First Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby. 
 Section 2.7. Benefits of Supplemental Indenture. Nothing in this First Supplemental Indenture or in the
Notes or Guarantees, express or implied, shall give to any Person (other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder, any paying agent and the Holders) any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under the Indenture, the
First Supplemental Indenture or the Notes. 
 Section 2.8. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in
this First Supplemental Indenture by the Company shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee in this First Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors. 

  
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 Section 2.9. No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and
Stockholders. No director, officer, employee, stockholder, incorporator or agent of the Company or the Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Guarantor under the Notes, the Guarantees, the
Indenture, as amended by this First Supplemental Indenture, or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of the Notes by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability.

 Section 2.10. Certain Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee. In entering into this First Supplemental
Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to the benefit of every provision of the Indenture and the Notes relating to the conduct or affecting the liability or affording protection to the Trustee, whether or not elsewhere herein so provided.

 Section 2.11. Governing Law. THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE PART OF THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE AND SHALL, TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE, BE GOVERNED BY
SUCH PROVISIONS. 
 Section 2.12. Counterparts. This First Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original; but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. 
 Section 2.13. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. 

Section 2.14. The Trustee. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or
sufficiency of this First Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Company. 
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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Supplemental Indenture to be
duly executed as of the date first written above. 
  

			
	AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
		
	By:	 	 /s/ Christopher J. May

		 	Name:  Christopher J. May
		 	Title:    Treasurer


  

			
	THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee
		
	By:	 	 /s/ Linda Garcia

		 	Name:  Linda Garcia
		 	Title:    Vice President



  
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