front wheel skewers yes. I've always removed them because if not, they would end up getting punched through the side of the cardboard box and or damaging the frame if smushed up against it , just dont forget it, put it somewhere safe inside your luggage right away before you forget.

oh, and dont take this the wrong way, but perhaps get your front wheel hub checked out --cones locknut wise, just in case your teardown technique of putting the hub back together could have been the problem with the rear hub. Again, dont know you and if an error on your part could have been the issue, if you are very sure of what you did, then ignore my comment.

I have always left one side of the axel/cones/locknut completely tight, and only used the other side to loosen to pull out the axle, and then always put the "tightened side" of the wheel in my vice tohold in place when I tighten up the untightened side and doing the small cone adjustments. With my cone wrench, I can easily and veyr solidly tighten the upper cone locknut, and always be absolutely sure that everything is good and tightened at the end of it all.