Originally Posted by
laura*
And thus probably faster? I'll choose slower if it means less (chance of) damage to the components.
Nonsense.
The only risk you take by not removing the dust cap is wasting time you'll never get back. The other possibility for bent axle is that the hub was ridden and that it's not actually Nos. The other possibility is that you misjudged that the axle really is bent. If you roll it on a smooth surface any bentness will show up - radically. You also won't be able to get the hub cones adjusted properly.