Yes it will make a difference but one of the catches is that the chainline often isn't what the specs say it is so a different axle length is called for. Now the problem is that the most common error is that the chainline is WIDER than spec so the last thing you need to do is to deliberately make it wider still.
Measure it to see where your at. Measure from the centre of the seat tube or down tube to the chainring. I'm assuming it has a single ring on front? If its a double you measure to halfway between the two rings and if its a triple you measure to the middle ring.
Anthony