Junction box has screws 2 3/4" apart but fixture needs 3 1/2" [closed]

Question

This is similar to question asked back in 2017. No good answers other than original poster said electrician figure it out. Wondering what it costs. Are we looking at replacing junction box which would entail widening the hole in ceiling? Can we slip a larger junction box around the existing one?

I have same problem. The mounting bracket for the new light has screw holes which are 3 1/2" apart, while the existing junction box has screw holes which are 2 3/4" apart. (And I can't use the old mounting bracket with the new light, because the way it attaches to the light is completely different.)

Answer 1

There's a part made for just this purpose. It's called an 'adjustable crossbar' or 'adjustable light mount'. They let you fix most any alignment problem, both for hole spacing and for fixture rotation. Your nearest big box store or well-stocked hardware store should have one. The ones I can get locally are each rated for at least 35 pounds, so they're likely to be as strong as the box and work for anything other than a huge fan or chandelier.