well fwiw....i found a hack solution for the double display which i noticed not only didnt make sense but was throwing browser errors...
open template: FORUMDISPLAY
find this code and nuke it>
<vb:if condition="$show['threadslist']">
<div class="collapse">
<a class="collapse" id="collapse_forum_options" href="{vb:raw relpath}#top"><img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_button}/collapse{vb:raw vbcollapse.collapseimg_info_options}_40b.png" alt="" /></a>
<h4 class="forumoptiontitle blockhead">{vb:rawphrase thread_display_options}</h4>
</div>
<div id="forum_options" class="forum_info_form_block">
<form id="forum_display_options" action="{vb:raw $vboptions.vbforum_url}{vb:if "$vboptions['vbforum_url']", '/', ''}forumdisplay.php" method="get" class="forum_info_form blockbody formcontrols floatcontainer">
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="{vb:raw session.sessionhash}" />
<input type="hidden" name="f" value="{vb:raw forumid}" />
<input type="hidden" name="page" value="{vb:raw pagenumber}" />
<input type="hidden" name="pp" value="{vb:raw perpage}" />
<div>
<div class="options_input_block">
<label for="sel_daysprune">{vb:rawphrase show_threads_from_the}</label>
<select class="primary" id="sel_daysprune" name="daysprune">
<option value="1" {vb:raw daysprunesel.1}>{vb:rawphrase last_day}</option>
<option value="2" {vb:raw daysprunesel.2}>{vb:rawphrase last_2_days}</option>
<option value="7" {vb:raw daysprunesel.7}>{vb:rawphrase last_week}</option>
<option value="10" {vb:raw daysprunesel.10}>{vb:rawphrase last_10_days}</option>
<option value="14" {vb:raw daysprunesel.14}>{vb:rawphrase last_2_weeks}</option>
<option value="30" {vb:raw daysprunesel.30}>{vb:rawphrase last_month}</option>
<option value="45" {vb:raw daysprunesel.45}>{vb:rawphrase last_45_days}</option>
<option value="60" {vb:raw daysprunesel.60}>{vb:rawphrase last_2_months}</option>
<option value="75" {vb:raw daysprunesel.75}>{vb:rawphrase last_75_days}</option>
<option value="100" {vb:raw daysprunesel.100}>{vb:rawphrase last_100_days}</option>
<option value="365" {vb:raw daysprunesel.365}>{vb:rawphrase last_year}</option>
<option value="-1" {vb:raw daysprunesel.all}>{vb:rawphrase beginning}</option>
</select>
<p class="description">{vb:rawphrase use_control_to_limit_threads}</p>
</div>
<div class="options_input_block">
<label for="sel_sort">{vb:rawphrase sort_threads_by}</label>
<select class="primary" id="sel_sort" name="sort">
<option value="title" {vb:raw sort.title}>{vb:rawphrase thread_title}</option>
<option value="lastpost" {vb:raw sort.lastpost}>{vb:rawphrase last_post_time}</option>
<option value="dateline" {vb:raw sort.dateline}>{vb:rawphrase thread_start_time}</option>
<option value="replycount" {vb:raw sort.replycount}>{vb:rawphrase number_of_replies}</option>
<option value="views" {vb:raw sort.views}>{vb:rawphrase number_of_views}</option>
<option value="postusername" {vb:raw sort.postusername}>{vb:rawphrase thread_starter}</option>
<vb:if condition="$show['threadratings']"><option value="voteavg" {vb:raw sort.voteavg}>{vb:rawphrase thread_rating}</option></vb:if>
</select>
<p class="description">{vb:rawphrase sort_threads_by_description}</p>
</div>
<vb:if condition="$prefix_options">
<div class="options_input_block">
<label for="sel_prefixid">{vb:rawphrase prefix}</label>
<select name="prefixid" class="primary" id="sel_prefixid">
<option value="" {vb:raw prefix_selected.anythread}>{vb:rawphrase any_thread_meta}</option>
<option value="-2" {vb:raw prefix_selected.anyprefix}>{vb:rawphrase any_prefix_meta}</option>
<option value="-1" {vb:raw prefix_selected.none}>{vb:rawphrase no_prefix_meta}</option>
{vb:raw prefix_options}
</select>
<p class="description">{vb:rawphrase select_threads_with_prefix_description}</p>
</div>
</vb:if>
<!-- Group of Radio Buttons -->
<div class="options_input_block">
<p class="label">{vb:rawphrase order_threads_in}</p>
<ul class="checkradio group">
<li><label for="radio_asc"><input type="radio" name="order" id="radio_asc" value="asc" {vb:raw order.asc} /> {vb:rawphrase ascending}</label></li>
<li><label for="radio_dsc"><input type="radio" name="order" id="radio_dsc" value="desc" {vb:raw order.desc} /> {vb:rawphrase descending}</label></li>
</ul>
<p class="description">{vb:rawphrase order_threads_note}</p>
</div>
{vb:raw template_hook.forumdisplay_filters}
</div>
<div class="options_input_wrapper">
<div class="options_input_block">
<div class="group">
<input type="submit" class="button" value="{vb:rawphrase show_threads}" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</form>
</div>
</vb:if>
simple enough? lol
i would rather hide by css, but that header tripped me up so heres the nuclear option