Its a bit late so I might have missed something but you can try this:
From FORUMHOME remove the red stuff:
<tr align="center">
<td class="thead"> </td>
<td class="thead" width="100%" align="$stylevar[left]">$vbphrase[forum]</td>
<td class="thead" width="175">$vbphrase[last_post]</td>
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[threads]</td>
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[posts]</td>
<if condition="$vboptions['showmoderatorcolumn']">
<td class="thead">$vbphrase[moderator]</td>
</if>
</tr>
To forumhome_forumbit_level1_nopost add the stuff in green:
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT != 'index'"><if condition="$vboptions[showmoderatorcolumn]">6<else />5</if><else /><if condition="$vboptions[showmoderatorcolumn]">4<else />3</if></if>">
<if condition="$childforumbits">
<a style="float:$stylevar[right]" href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('forumbit_$forumid')"><img id="collapseimg_forumbit_$forumid" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/collapse_tcat{$collapseimg_forumid}.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
</if>
<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]">$forum[title]</a>
<if condition="$show['forumdescription']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>
<if condition="$show['subforums']"><div class="smallfont"><strong>$vbphrase[subforums]</strong>: $forum[subforums]</div></if>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<if condition="$childforumbits">
<tbody id="collapseobj_forumbit_$forumid" style="{$collapseobj_forumid}">
$childforumbits
</tbody>
</if>
Same again for forumhome_forumbit_level2_post:
<tr align="center">
<td class="alt2"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/forum_$forum[statusicon].gif" alt="" border="0" id="forum_statusicon_$forum[forumid]" /></td>
<td class="alt1Active" align="$stylevar[left]" id="f$forum[forumid]">
<div>
<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><strong>$forum[title]</strong></a>
<if condition="$show['browsers']"><span class="smallfont">(<phrase 1="$forum[browsers]">$vbphrase[x_viewing]</phrase>)</span></if>
</div>
<if condition="$show['forumdescription']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>
<if condition="$show['forumsubscription']"><div class="smallfont"><strong><a href="subscription.php?$session[sessionurl]do=removesubscription&f=$forum[forumid]" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[unsubscribe_from_this_forum]</a></strong></div></if>
<if condition="$show['subforums']"><div class="smallfont" style="margin-top:$stylevar[cellpadding]px"><strong>$vbphrase[subforums]</strong>: $forum[subforums]</div></if>
</td>
<td class="alt2" nowrap="nowrap">$forum[lastpostinfo]</td>
<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT != 'index'">
<td class="alt1">$forum[threadcount]</td>
<td class="alt2">$forum[replycount]</td>
</if>
<if condition="$vboptions['showmoderatorcolumn']">
<td class="alt1"><div class="smallfont">$forum[moderators] </div></td>
</if>
</tr>
$childforumbits
It seems to have worked on my test forum but mine is just the standard setup so it hasn't been tested thoroughly.
(This is for 3.6.8)