If you’re changing up to 142, I’m assuming you’ve got to push the axle out anyway (when I last looked, for my hub it required a full axle change, but I might be wrong in your case). Whichever way round you do it, the two bearings that sit under the freehub body will have to experience sideways force; either from the axle being driven out, or by the freehub body being pulled off the axle. And I think the same goes for the drive-side bearing that sits in the hub body.
I might be getting in a muddle, but I think in your situation, the risk of knocking the axle towards the drive-side would be that the bearings, free-hub and end cap will still be stuck on it after it slides out.
I’m assuming you’re actually wanting to use all the bearings again with the new axle ?