See what I would want is the gradient to stretch all the way over same with the space where the quote button is. That way it is symetrical. Also make the sides thinner so the actual area where you post is larger.
Here is the code for my postbit with the double post for anyone who wants to do a quick try of how it would look on their site..
<!-- post #$post[postid] -->
<if condition="$show['spacer']">
$spacer_open
<div id="edit$post[postid]" style="padding:0px 0px $stylevar[cellpadding]px 0px">
<if condition="!$post['islastshown']"><!-- this is not the last post shown on the page --></if>
</if>
<table id="post$post[postid]" class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
<if condition="$show['announcement']">
<td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal" colspan="2">
<img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/post_$post[statusicon].gif" alt="$post[statustitle]" border="0" />
<phrase 1="$post[startdate]" 2="$post[enddate]">$vbphrase[x_until_y]</phrase>
</td>
<else />
<td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal" $post[scrolltothis]>
<!-- MESSAGE TITLE -->
<if condition="$show['messageicon'] OR $post['title']">
<!-- icon and title -->
<div class="smallfont">
<if condition="$show['messageicon']"><img class="inlineimg" src="$post[iconpath]" alt="$post[icontitle]" border="0" /></if>
<if condition="$post['title']"><strong>$post[title]</strong></if>
</div>
<!-- / icon and title -->
</if>
<!-- / MESSAGE TITLE -->
</td>
<td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal;text-align:right;vertical-align:middle">
<strong>$vbphrase[replies]: $thread[replycount]</strong>
<if condition="$show['postcount']">#<a href="showpost.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]&postcount=$post[postcount]" target="new" rel="nofollow" id="postcount$post[postid]" name="$post[postcount]"><strong>$post[postcount]</strong></a></if>
<if condition="$show['inlinemod']">
<input type="checkbox" name="plist[$postid]" id="plist_$postid" style="vertical-align:middle; padding:0px; margin:0px 0px 0px 5px" value="$post[checkbox_value]" onclick="inlineMod.toggle(this)" />
</if>
</td>
</if>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td class="alt2" width="175">
<div id="postmenu_$post[postid]">
<if condition="$show['profile']">
<a class="bigusername" href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]">$post[musername]</a>
<script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("postmenu_$post[postid]", true); </script>
<else />
$post[musername]
</if>
</div>
<if condition="$post['usertitle']"><div class="smallfont">$post[usertitle]</div></if>
<if condition="$post['rank']"><div class="smallfont">$post[rank]</div></if>
<if condition="$show['avatar']">
<div class="smallfont">
<br /><a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]"><img src="$post[avatarurl]" alt="<phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[xs_avatar]</phrase>" border="0" /></a>
</div>
</if>
<div class="smallfont">
<br />
<if condition="$post['joindate']"><div>$vbphrase[join_date]: $post[joindate]</div></if>
<if condition="$post['field2']"><div>$vbphrase[location_perm]: $post[field2]</div></if>
<if condition="$post['age']"><div>$vbphrase[age]: $post[age]</div></if>
<div>
$vbphrase[posts]: $post[posts]
</div>
<if condition="$show['reputation']"><div><if condition="$show['reppower']">$vbphrase[reppower]: $post[reppower]</if>$post[reputationdisplay]</div></if>
<div>$post[icqicon] $post[aimicon] $post[msnicon] $post[yahooicon] $post[skypeicon]</div>
</div>
</td>
<if condition="$show['moderated']">
<td class="alt2" id="td_post_$post[postid]">
<else />
<td class="alt1" id="td_post_$post[postid]">
</if>
<!-- POST DATE & USERNAME -->
<div id="postmenu_$post[postid]">
<!-- status icon and date -->
<a name="post$post[postid]"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/post_$post[statusicon].gif" alt="$post[statustitle]" border="0" /></a>
$post[postdate]<if condition="!$show['detailedtime']">, $post[posttime]</if>
$post[firstnewinsert]
<!-- / status icon and date -->
<!-- USERNAME -->
by <a class="bigusername" href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]">$post[musername]</a>
<!-- / USERNAME -->
<hr size="1" style="color:$stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]" />
</div>
<!-- / POST DATE & USERNAME -->
<div class="alt2" style="width:97%;margin:0 auto;padding:3px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #000000">
<!-- message -->
<div id="post_message_$post[postid]">$post[message]</div>
<!-- / message -->
<if condition="$show['attachments']">
<!-- attachments -->
<div style="padding:$stylevar[cellpadding]px">
<if condition="$show['thumbnailattachment']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[attached_thumbnails]</legend>
<div style="padding:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
$post[thumbnailattachments]
</div>
</fieldset>
</if>
<if condition="$show['imageattachment']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[attached_images]</legend>
<div style="padding:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
$post[imageattachments]
</div>
</fieldset>
</if>
<if condition="$show['imageattachmentlink']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[attached_images]</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
$post[imageattachmentlinks]
</table>
</fieldset>
</if>
<if condition="$show['otherattachment']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[attached_files]</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
$post[otherattachments]
</table>
</fieldset>
</if>
<if condition="$show['moderatedattachment']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[attachments_pending_approval]</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
$post[moderatedattachments]
</table>
</fieldset>
</if>
</div>
<!-- / attachments -->
</if>
<if condition="$post['signature']">
<!-- sig -->
<div>
<br /><HR>
<fieldset><legend>$post[username]'s Sig:</legend>$post[signature]</fieldset> </div>
<!-- / sig -->
</div>
</if>
<if condition="$show['postedited']">
<!-- edit note -->
<div class="smallfont"> <hr size="1" style="color:$stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]" />
<em>
<phrase 1="$post[edit_username]" 2="$post[edit_date]" 3="$post[edit_time]">$vbphrase[last_edited_by_x_on_y_at_z]</phrase>.
<if condition="$post['edit_reason']">$vbphrase[reason]: $post[edit_reason]</if>
</em>
</div>
<!-- / edit note -->
</if>
</td>
<!-- / MESSAGE COLUMN -->
<!-- USER COLUMN -->
<td width="175" class="alt2" style="text-align:center">
<div class="smallfont">
<if condition="$post['fieldx']">
$post[fieldx]<br />
</if>
<if condition="$post['fieldy']">
$post[fieldy]<br />
</if>
<if condition="$post['fieldz']">
$post[fieldz]<br />
</if>
</div>
</td>
<!-- / USER COLUMN -->
</tr>
<tr>
<!-- MESSAGE BUTTONS -->
<if condition="$show['moderated']">
<td class="alt2" align="$stylevar[left]" colspan="2">
<else />
<td class="alt1" align="$stylevar[left]" colspan="2">
</if>
<!-- controls -->
<if condition="$post['editlink']">
<a href="$post[editlink]" name="vB::QuickEdit::$post[postid]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/edit.gif" alt="$vbphrase[edit_delete_message]" border="0" /></a>
</if>
<if condition="$post['forwardlink']">
<a href="$post[forwardlink]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/forward.gif" alt="$vbphrase[forward_message]" border="0" /></a>
</if>
<if condition="$post['replylink']">
<a href="$post[replylink]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/<if condition="$post['forwardlink']">reply_small<else />quote</if>.gif" alt="$vbphrase[reply_with_quote]" border="0" /></a>
</if>
<if condition="$show['quickreply'] AND !$show['threadedmode']">
<a href="$post[replylink]" rel="nofollow" id="qr_$post[postid]" onclick="return false"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/quickreply.gif" alt="$vbphrase[quick_reply_to_this_message]" border="0" /></a>
</if>
<if condition="$show['moderated']">
<img src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/moderated.gif" alt="$vbphrase[moderated_post]" border="0" />
</if>
<!-- / controls -->
</td>
<!-- / MESSAGE BUTTONS -->
<!-- IP & REPORT POST -->
<td class="alt2" align="$stylevar[right]">
<if condition="$show['reputationlink']"><a href="reputation.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]" rel="nofollow"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/reputation.gif" border="0" alt="<phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[add_to_xs_reputation]</phrase>" /></a></if>
<if condition="$show['reportlink']"><a href="report.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[report_bad_post]</a></if>
$post[iplogged]
</td>
<!-- / IP & REPORT POST -->
</tr>
</table>
<!-- post $post[postid] popup menu -->
<div class="vbmenu_popup" id="postmenu_$post[postid]_menu" style="display:none">
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
<tr>
<td class="thead">$post[username]</td>
</tr>
<if condition="$show['profile']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]">$vbphrase[view_public_profile]</a></td></tr>
</if>
<if condition="$show['pmlink']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="private.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newpm&u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[send_private_message_to_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
</if>
<if condition="$show['emaillink']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="sendmessage.php?$session[sessionurl]do=mailmember&u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[send_email_to_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
</if>
<if condition="$show['homepage']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="$post[homepage]"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[visit_xs_homepage]</phrase></a></td></tr>
</if>
<if condition="$show['search']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=finduser&u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[find_more_posts_by_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
</if>
<if condition="$post['userid'] AND $show['member']">
<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=addlist&userlist=buddy&u=$post[userid]"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[add_x_to_buddy_list]</phrase></a></td></tr>
</if>
</table>
</div>
<!-- / post $post[postid] popup menu -->
<if condition="$show['spacer']">
</div>
$spacer_close
</if>
<!-- / post #$post[postid] -->