Can any diameter nut axle work with a wheel?

Some hubs are skinny but as long as the axle doesn't rub against the hub while its perfectly straight through it than its possible? If the axle is bigger in diameter, and since cones are slightly slanted, the bearings would rub higher up on the smaller diameter part of the cone...In which case a bearing might pop out? Could you solve this problem by getting a smaller diameter (but same thread size ofcourse) cone, and or just get smaller bearings??



I have an old bicycle wheel from the 1980s or 90s, 27 *1/1/4. I stripped its axle so I'm wondering which spare axle I should use thanks