Some Trips End Early for Mechanical Reasons

[Ray]

From what I have read, the U-joints are permanently sealed (that is why they cannot be replaced and you have to buy the whole driveshaft with both U-joints) so it would be unlikely that lubrication from a water crossing would have removed the lubricant. But one cannot rule out anything I suppose ... not when we don't know what the root cause of the failure is.

Right.
My image was moisture getting in and not draining with subsequent, slow corrosion..., but who knows.

One more question - how does the hand model in the lower picture keep those nails so clean?