I have a stripped lug nut…one of those security nuts you need an adaptor you keep in the glove box…deep in the socket of an alloy wheel.
Is there some kind of nut cracker at a hardware store that will work?
What is stripped - the threads where it screws onto the lug stud, or the interface where it engages the adaptor?
When I had the same issue - the key wouldn’t engage the nut anymore - I took it to a local auto service place, where they got it out in about 30 seconds flat with some kind of tool on the air wrench. Luckily I was rotating, not changing a flat.
And of course, there’s always this.
A tire shop should be able to help you. They make 1/2 drive sockets that you drive on to the nut with a hammer then use a ratchet to remove. They are made for both stripped nuts and security nuts that they keys have been lost for. I’ve purchased them a few times for our shop always from a local tire store.
And if he doesn’t own an impact wrench? 
Then he can use a 1/2" breaker bar or ratchet.
Now that was “FUNNY” 
for og’s sake, don’t do what i did: ignore it. i had no idea what that funny clacking noise was. i found out well enough when the right rear wheel fell off my car on christmas day eight years ago.
i thank the traffic gods daily that it happened at 20 mph on the very twisty river road in noblesville, indiana, rather indianapolis’ I-465 at 75 mph.
wanna take bets on how well a 1991 geo tracker would have done at that speed? i prefer not to.
The adaptor interface.
A fellow valet…also a mechanic…said in this case the only thing you can do is use a hammer and chisel to split the nut from the lug bolt
This happens a lot where it snows and the lug nuts/ bolts get corroded. The locking lug destroys the “key” before it comes loose.
The hammer on adapters sometimes work. They will work much better with an impact then they will with a breaker bar. The vibration from the impact will help break up the corrosion.
The guys in Canada tell me that sometimes they have to use torches to cut the lug nut off. There are specialty services that do this for the faint of heart. (You can include me in that group) The claim is that when done right they can torch off the the lug nut & stud/ head of the bolt without damaging the wheel. I have never seen this done, so cavet emptor, and YMMV.
In any event if you don’t have an impact, my advice is take it to a pro.
Also once you get the wheels off, use a dab of anti-seize on the threads of each lug / nut bolt. This ill prevent it from happening again.
[QUOTE=Rick]
“The guys in Canada tell me that sometimes they have to use torches to cut the lug nut off. There are specialty services that do this for the faint of heart. (You can include me in that group) The claim is that when done right they can torch off the the lug nut & stud/ head of the bolt without damaging the wheel. I have never seen this done, so cavet emptor, and YMMV”
The technique is similar to washing off welds.Steel won't "cut" unless it's molten, so the oxidising blast (tip centre) is directed only at liquid metal.Alloy wheels won't pick up spatter but if they're lacquered shielding is advisable.Damp rags,sheet metal,etc."…deep in the socket of an alloy wheel."
So if I understand correctly, it’s recessed in a hole to where none of the nut sticks out past the wheel. Generally those holes are so narrow that the standard removal tool (mentioned above) won’t even come close to fitting in. Heck, with some of them a regular hex socket will just barely fit in. This, as you have seen, sucks.
If that hole is less narrow than some, it might be possible to grind down the exterior of a removal tool to reduce its diameter and get it in there. Said grinding would be a tedious process, might weaken the tool, and can only be done so far because most of the thickness of the tool is in its interior (lug nut gripping) design, so this is really a long shot.
If the head of the nut is close to the outer wheel surface (doubtful because you said “deep in”), it might be possible to drive it off with a hammer and punch or chisel. The punch or chisel is pounded in at or near the outer edge of the nut so as to bite into it, then hammered to turn it counterclockwise. The flatter the punch or chisel lies, the better - generally no steeper than a 45’ angle.
Splitting it with hammer and chisel - even with an air hammer - strikes me as an iffy proposition. Not being able to approach the side of the nut significantly limits the chance of getting a good “splitting” cut on it. It would likely damage the lug stud. It could work, but I don’t have high hopes.
A cutting torch in the right hands could work. Finding someone who’s had experience doing exactly this procedure is advised - I’d be a little uneasy over someone learning the art on my wheel. The lug stud would almost certainly be damaged.
How hard are those locking nuts? Assuming that the stud is going to be damaged anyway, is this something that could be drilled out? I’m thinking that if you drilled out most of the stud, it would be weak enough to just break off. Of course, you would need a steady hand to avoid damaging the wheel, or some sort of jig to guide the drill. Starting with a small pilot hole would help.