[metalguy639]

Login to your admin cp and find your navbar template.

Find:

<if condition="$show['notifications']">
			<div><span id="notifications"><a href="usercp.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[your_notifications]:</a> <strong>$notifications_total</strong></span></div>

Replace with:

<if condition="$show['notifications']">
			<div><a href="usercp.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[your_notifications]:</a> <strong>$notifications_total</strong></div>

I tested it in 3.8.6 it should work and just give you a link.

It removes the graphic but the drop down does not work after that. Its the only way to get rid of it that I see though. So you will have to decide if the drop down is important to you.