Abstract: Two motors are arranged on opposing sides of a common shaft, drive plates of the pump/motors being rigidly coupled to each other, for example by being in hard contact with opposing sides of the shaft. By providing hard contact between the pump/motor drive plates and a common shaft, the drive plates and shaft act as a substantially solid element under compression, thereby substantially canceling axial loads generated by the pump/motors directly through the shaft. Residual axial loads are handled via bearings positioned on the shaft adjacent the drive plates in such a manner that the drive plates are in light contact only with the bearings. As a result, friction experienced by the bearings is substantially reduced as compared to conventional systems, thereby improving the efficiency of the system.