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The biggest gear you can put in the stock axles are 4.56. Swap out the axles to something that can accomodate 4.88 or 5.16 and your 4 banger on 33's can handle the trail just as well as a 4.0L/4.2L on 33's with stock gears.
The 4.2L is a great motor with the FI swap done on it. If I had the time I'd build a stroker with that. 4.6. I'll take a 4.6L motor with 269 HP and a whooping 339 ft/lbs @3200 RPM all day in a CJ-7
All for under $1200ish.
+1, the 258 is the best rotating assembly ever put into a Jeep