Get into the groove, boy you've got to prove......There is a groove in the bottom of them that fits inside of the frame. What I do is angle my side panel at a 63 degree angle (
), about 60 degrees and place the bottom of the panel inside the frame. Then, slowly bring the top up in an arcing motion to align with the cowl/dash and the front nose. The holes should align up better for you. Next, screw on your wing nut, repeat with the other side and then attach your springy thingy!!
It looks like from your pic that you have the bottom outside of this groove in your frame.....
Cub Cadet 123