It is possible to do without taking the wheel apart, you'll only need to dismantle the hub. The one time I tried to do this, although the quick release axle I had looked similar to the old bolt-on axle I wanted to replace, the cones and other hub parts would not screw onto the quick-release axle because the thread pitch was slightly different. You may get lucky and find a compatible axle, but it probably won't be that easy.