Okay, I just read about 5 of the posts on here, and got tired of hearing that you're supposed to break-in gears. IF your gears are installed correctly there is NO break-in period. How many nascar stock cars do you see "breaking-in" their freshly installed gears driving up and down the street calmly and gently. Or how many funny cars do you see making grocery runs, etc.
Even if they are installed incorrectly there is no break-in period, they're going to get f'ed up no matter how you drive it.
Get gears installed professionally and drive it how you want. That's it.
I know this is a huge debate and this won't end it, but I just had to say it.
Getting back on topic now:
As far as being dissapointed; If you actually noticed the difference for the better then it worked. If not, then you either chose the wrong gear ratio or you're driving your car differently.
I went from 2.73's to 3.73's and noticed a huge difference. You're old gears should actually have the ratio stamped on them.
HP is what spins the tires, torque puts the HP to the ground, gears are torque. You don't get a lower gear ratio to spin the tires, they're designed to get the power to the ground and get a better launch off the line.