Yakjuxw to Yakju/Takju, will it corrupt or destroy my Galaxy Nexus yakjuxw?
I did not have any issue making a similar change myself, using the guides online that walk you through switching your Samsung or Telco branded Galaxy Nexus (on the Samsung upgrade track) to a Google branded one on the much faster Google upgrade track.

Don't skip any steps, and be sure to back everything up, and be aware that you are probably voiding your warranty. I linked to a 4.1.1 upgrade guide; I am sure there are newer ones out, though most of the guide will be identical.