Anytime I've heard of aligning 1992 and later, all the way to 2017, E-350/450, it's been concentric bushings. The earlier E-Series with Twin-I-Beam like 1975-1991, used Kingpins, not Ball Joints, and I think there was a beveled part that allowed a slight "twist" in how the axle itself was oriented. I've heard of them referred to as "Plates" but not "Shims." A typical double wishbone suspension uses Shims on the Upper Control Arm to change the position of the upper ball joint. But on Twin-I-Beam with Ball Joints, The Bushing changes the position of the upper ball joint.
Would love to see a pic of those beveled parts!